iGo To The Hospital
by OverkiII
Summary: Sam starts the day off with a small stomachache and thinks nothing of it, blaming it on some beef jerky. When the symptoms start getting worse and she feels sick, she has to rely on Carly and Freddie to help her out, especially with her fear of hospitals!
1. Stomachaches and Freddie Pains!

**NEW INTRO TO MY STORY: I'm currently on chapter 107 at this point, but I felt the need to come back to chapter one and write a new author's note. Many people keep asking me what ship this story is and I just want to tell you it's...Seddie, Cam, and Spam, along with snippets of Creddie and Fencer. Basically, EVERY shipper out there will enjoy this story! (Not kidding either xD) **

**When I started writing this, my intention was to create an iCarly fanfiction that completely ignored romance, and instead provided an entertaining, yet heartwarming friendship plot for all iCarly fans to enjoy, regardless of what ship they lean towards. I'd like to say that I have accomplished this, and am quite proud of my work in this story. BUT, I don't want any possible newcomers to be turned off of the story just because there is no romance in it. Like I said before, this story incorporates all shipping aspects into it, ALL of them, but in the form of friendship so no one is left out. **

**So if you're a Seddie fan, there will be some great Seddie scenes coming your way in this story. If you're a Cam fan, same thing. And so on and so forth for the rest of shippers. Either way I have tried my best to give every ship a shot in the story, and in doing so, realized that I have written out some of the best shipping scenes I ever could have. So please, try not to let your romantic views turn you off of a story that tends to avoid it. I really believe most of you out there will find a part you like in here as long as you give it the chance. **

**Now for the quick version of this rambling author's note, I just wanted to welcome all iCarly fans to this story, whatever your shipping preference is. If you decide to take the time to read my story, I hope you enjoy it!**

_**(PS-For memories sake, I'm keeping my original author's note up here as well. ;D)  
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_**I was bored out of my mind and decided to start another iCarly story! I'm still currently working on my other one "iSwitch Bodies" (in which Sam and Carly switch bodies for a day-if you like the way this one is written, check it out!) so I might not update this one as frequently, but I've really wanted to work on this idea for a while! So yah! Here it goes! Enjoy!)**_

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**Sam Puckett watched as various cars drove by. She was currently standing in a mob of people, waiting for the crossing signal to turn green. She had taken out her ear buds and put her PearPod away. She never listened to music when crossing the road because it would be dangerous and even she realized that. Eventually the sign turned green and everyone continued on their way. Sam broke away from the crowd and walked down a sidewalk, passing the many citizens of Seattle. Unfortunately she met up with one of the more abrasive ones.

"HEY WATCH WHERE YA GOING KID!" A man riding a blue bike flew past her, nearly clipping her right side.

"NO YOU WATCH IT! This is a sideWALK." Sam yelled back to the man who had almost crashed into her while riding his bike dangerously down the sidewalk. She grumbled as she watched him pedal away, almost hitting an old woman in his haste. "Sometimes I hate Seattle.." Sam scowled to herself as she resumed walking down the street. The blond girl had a small stomachache and wasn't up for fighting with the local street garbage today. Eventually she rounded the corner and saw that The Bushwell Plaza building was in sight. "At least there's one good thing in this city..." she mumbled as she walked up the steps.

* * *

"Hey Lewb," Sam casually waved to the doorman as she entered through the main doors. He looked up from a newspaper he was reading and glared at the girl. Sam watched as the veins in his neck started to pop out and his skin turned a small shade of red.

"DON'T CALL ME LEWB. MY NAME IS BERT. I MEAN LEWBERT. ARRRGGG!" He slammed his fists down on the desk in front of him.

"Nice day today isn't it?" Sam smiled innocently.

"Nice day? NICE DAY? I SIT HERE IN THIS STUPID LOBBY ALL DAY. WHY WOULD I CARE IF IT WAS A NICE DAY? I HOPE IT RAINS!"

"Well, it was a pleasure chatting. I'm going up to Carly's now," Sam turned on her heel and started to walk to the steps, satisfied with her daily angering of the hairpin trigger doorman.

"YAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Lewbert screamed as Sam disappeared.

Sam chuckled to herself as she heard Lewbert's wail echo through the stairwell.

* * *

Meanwhile, Carly was sitting on the couch watching TV when her brother Spencer ran in from his bathroom. He had a towel wrapped around his lower half and a face full of shaving cream. He held a small pink razor in his right hand since he was getting ready for a date when he heard a loud scream.

"Did you hear that?" He exclaimed as he turned around in all directions, holding his pitiful razor out as a weapon. Carly, used to her brother's reactions, didn't bat an eye.

"Yup. That just means Sam's here," She said, reaching over to the small table in front of her to take a sip of water from a red glass.

"Huh? But that scream..."

"Lewbert," Carly stated.

"Oh," Spencer replied. No other explanation was needed. "Well, anyways I.." Spencer was cut off as the doorbell rang. He looked at the door and then at Carly.

"You better get that," Carly put down her glass. "You know, before Sam rips off the door chain...again."

"You're right!" He gasped. "I can't afford another!" Spencer ran over to the door and unlatched the chain. As he opened it, he revealed the blond girl to be standing out in the hallway. "Hey Sam!" He greeted her cheerfully. She just stared at him for a moment, and then at his razor.

"Lady Schick?"

"Don't make fun of me!" Spencer yelled out as Sam passed him and walked into the apartment. "...and yes. It is," He mumbled pitifully looking at his razor.

"Hey Carly, how's it hanging?" Sam walked over to the couch.

"It's hanging alright. And by that I mean Spencer's towel!" Carly quickly put a hand over her eyes. "It just fell off!"

"Huh?" Spencer looked down and noticed that the towel had indeed fallen off. "AHHH. Indecent exposure to children!" He picked up his towel quickly and wrapped it around his waist once more before running into his bathroom. "Why does that keep happening?" Spencer's muffled voice yelled from out of the room. Sam just laughed.

"You guys are crazy," She smiled.

"No, just Spencer," Carly chuckled. "Anyways, take a seat. You must be exhausted from your trek over here."

"Ah yes, the miserable task of walking the lonely trails. It was horrible. I lost one of my horses at the river, and the covered wagon just fell apart in the dusty prairies. The children didn't make it. Only I survived, on foot, by drinking from the cactus," Sam put a hand to her heart. "I even managed to avoid the little old ladies and bad tempered bicyclists. My weary feet," Sam dramatized as she slowly sat down next to her friend.

"You poor soul!" Carly laughed. "Why don't you just take the bus?"

"Sadly, the Samantha Puckett bank has been closed early," Sam sighed.

"Your mom didn't give you your allowance?" Carly wondered.

"No..she did. But I spent it all on beef jerky."

"Again?"

"What can I say.." Sam slumped down in her seat and looked at the ceiling. "Momma loves the dry meat," She then sat up and winced and held her stomach. "Though I don't think the dry meat loves momma."

"Are you alright?" Carly sat up concerned, noticing the painful expression on her friend's face.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm alright," Sam waved the pain off. "Just a small stomachache. I pigged out on a pound of beef jerky last night, courtesy of my allowance."

"A POUND? Sheesh Sam! No wonder you've got a stomachache!" Carly playfully poked her friend in the side lightly.

"Ow!" Sam cried out.

"I'm sorry!" Carly held her hands back. "I thought I did it light enough to not hurt."

"Ugh..that's alright. Just remember, I've got a pound of meat in here. Any pressure is bad," Sam laughed then stopped. "Boy I really wished I hadn't of eaten all that.." She muttered. Just then the doorbell rang again.

"You going to be alright?" Carly asked as she got up.

"Yeah, no problems here," Sam reassured her. "I just can't move much or do anything strenuous.."

"So you must have a stomachache everyday then?" Carly ducked as Sam tossed a pillow at her head.

"Shutup Shay," She laughed. Carly just rolled her eyes in humor as she opened the door.

"Hey Freddie!" She smiled and stepped back to let him in.

"Hi Carly," Freddie beamed at her.

"Oh great! As if I wasn't in enough pain!" Sam glared at the boy.

"Gee, nice to see you too Sam," Freddie stuck his tongue out at her.

"Real mature," Sam responded, and then pulled on the bottom of her eyelids and made a face at him.

"Guys, stop it!" Carly yelled out. "You haven't even been together for a minute yet and you're already bickering."

"Well Sam started it!" Freddie tried to defend himself.

"Yeah well, she's sort of getting a bit of a free pass today," Carly replied.

"What? Why?" Freddie exclaimed.

"Stomachache. Too much jerky," Carly simply stated.

"Oh so that thing over there gets to pig out and she gets a free pass because of it?" Freddie pointed to Sam.

"Watch it Benson," Sam threatened.

"She shouldn't get a free pass. I should! I have to deal with her all day! You don't think that gives me aches and pains?"

"Well yes but.." Carly trailed off as Sam appeared behind her and slung an arm over her shoulder.

"Carly's my best friend and she likes me better. Ha!" Sam was now the one to stick out her tongue at Freddie.

"Carly!" Freddie exclaimed pitifully.

"That's enough! No more!" Carly grabbed them by their hands and dragged them over to the couch. "We watch TV as friends."

"But she-"

"He-"

"AS FRIENDS!" Carly yelled to them both. She went to the middle of the couch and pulled the two down next to her. She was smart enough to keep Sam on one side, and Freddie on the other. With Carly in the middle, Sam and Freddie had to lean back to see each other. They made various insulting faces at one another. _'Why me?' _Carly thought as she put her head in her hands. She then sat back up and looked at the two immature children she called friends. She poked Freddie in the stomach and thumped Sam on the head.

"OW!" The two cried out in unison.

"What was that for?" Freddie mumbled.

"Yeah!" Sam agreed with him holding her head.

"Now maybe you two will behave like adults."

"We're not adults," Sam muttered.

"Not the point!" Carly yelled out as she leaned forward and grabbed the remote. "What do you guys want to watch?"

"Tech channel!"

"Food network!"

"UGH!" Carly sighed at her friends. "I'm choosing!" She flipped on the TV guide and looked through the various channels as the two others sat in silence. "How about American's Wackiest Home Videos?" Carly offered.

"Fine," Freddie mumbled.

"Whatev," Sam replied. Carly switched over to that channel, sighing over the tension in the air.

* * *

The gang had been watching their show for around twenty minutes and were already laughing up a storm.

"Did you s-s-see that guy? Hahahaha!" Sam laughed out loud as she pointed to the screen.

"I know! That dude didn't even notice the buffalo! HAH!" Freddie chuckled.

"What I want to know is how that girl got a driving license!" Carly added, as all three of them broke out in even more laughter. _'I knew this was a good idea.'_ Carly thought proudly in her head, noticing her two friends weren't fighting anymore.

**"And now a word from our sponsors.." **The host of the show stated before the program switched onto a commercial for a barbecue sauce. The commercial started off with a bunch of sauce being brushed onto a set of ribs which were on a grill.

**"Yum yum yum! Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce makes any rib stick to your own! WHOOOEEEE!" **A fat man in a 'kiss the cook' apron gave a thumbs up to the camera as he cooked the ribs.

"You better hold Sam back Carly. She's liable to try and eat your TV," Freddie smirked and looked at her.

"Ha. Ha." Sam replied, clearly not amused. She then returned her sight to the commercial, which now had a dog chewing on one of the ribs that fell off the grill.

**"Even Scruffy likes them!"** A little girl smiled happily on the TV screen as she hugged the dog.

"You know, those ribs do look good!" Carly stated.

"Yeah, I know! Makes you hungry," Freddie agreed. Sam just continued to watch the commercial. She felt an odd sensation in her stomach and it wasn't due to hunger.

**"Gran Gran will have a ball with this sauce!" **The commercial then showed an old woman trying to eat the ribs. **"Too bad she doesn't have teeth!" **The voice over guy in the commercial stated. Both Carly and Freddie laughed.

"Look at that lady go to town on that," Freddie pointed to the screen.

"Yeah!" Carly laughed. "Go Gran Gran." Meanwhile Sam had looked away from the TV and was just staring at a blank space on the wall.

_'When the heck does this commercial end?' _She thought to herself as she felt waves of nausea roll upon her. It didn't help either that an old lady was making 'smacking' sounds while trying to eat some ribs. _'Just don't think about it. Think about something else...um butterflies? Stupid. Anything else!' _Sam was fighting back the urge to throw up so badly that she didn't notice the commercial ended.

"That's a funny commercial," Freddie sat back into the couch.

"Yeah! And I bet Sam enjoyed all those meat products right?" Carly smiled and looked over at her friend who was currently sitting with her eyes shut tight and looking the other way. "Hey! Are you ok?" Carly asked as she noticed Sam was a very pale shade. She tapped her on the shoulder.

"W-what?" Sam asked as she tapped out of her thoughts.

"I asked if you're alright! You don't look well," Carly said softly. Sam looked at her and then at Freddie who even wore a concerned look as well.

"Guys, I'm fine. That commercial just...upset my stomach for a moment. The old lady...yuck!" Sam stuck out her tongue playfully. Carly eyed her for a second but realized the color on her face was starting to come back.

"You sure?" Carly asked, not fully convinced.

"Yeah, no worries. Old people always make me sick anyways," Sam laughed.

"Don't worry, you make old people sick too," Freddie cut in.

"YOU KNOW WHAT?" Sam hollered.

"WHAT?" Freddie yelled back. Carly just sighed.

_'I guess Sam is feeling better.'_ Carly confirmed as she sat back in defeat, letting her friends bicker. She knew they would stop when the show came back on. Hopefully.

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**Well, that's the first chapter! How'd you guys like it? Please leave a review and tell me if I should continue on! I CRAVE your opinions! xD**

**Also, for some fun facts about this chapter, I mentioned the whole PearPod/crossing the road thing because of the commercial Jennette McCurdy is in with the chicken. It's pretty funny! Stunt chicken! Lol!**

**And lastly, Sweet Baby Ray's is a real BBQ sauce. It's amazing! Go out and try some!**


	2. Wrestling Gone Wrong

**Because of the positive response I got from this story's first chapter, I whipped up a new chapter for you guys! Also, I wanted to take this time out to just ask that if you can find enough time to put my story on alert, than please find it in your heart to leave a review! I don't think it's asking much when I take three hours of my time to write a chapter for you readers, when all I'd like in return is one minute of consideration on your part! It's extremely depressing to get around thirty story alert messages in my inbox and never hearing from those users! D= I like to reply to my reviewers too! It's fun to get to know who's enjoying my work! Please don't be a stranger! Now onto the story!**

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**_'Finally, some peace and quiet.'_ Carly thought as she rested her head on the back of the couch. Freddie and Sam had given up their bickering after a good solid ten minutes of insults. The fight seemed to have drained the both of them. Sam was laying down on her side of the couch with her legs resting on top of Carly's lap, and Freddie had his own legs crossed with his feet resting on top of the table. His elbow was on the couch's arm rest with his head resting in his hand. Their show 'American's Wackiest Home Videos' had finished some time ago and they were now currently browsing through the guide once more. Carly decided today was a good day to be lazy and just sit around and watch TV, especially with Sam's stomachache. It seemed as though Freddie had no complaints about their lazy attitude as he joined in with no problem.

"How about channel 32?" Freddie mumbled as he watched the titles of various shows scroll up slowly. A grunt of disapproval came from both the girls. He just shrugged, not really caring.

"Channel 43?" Carly offered. She was now the one to be answered with a chorus of grunts. "Fine.." she sighed. The kids kept their lifeless gaze glued to the TV when Spencer came running out from his room, dressed up nicely in his black tuxedo for a fancy date.

"Hey guys! How do I look?!" He asked proudly as he pulled at the collar of his white shirt. All three of them looked up at him and mumbled incoherently. "Wow, now don't flood me with compliments so quickly!" Spencer held up his hands to shield himself.

"At least you have pants on now..." Sam yawned.

"And underwear." Carly added. She then looked slowly at Spencer. "...you do have underwear on right?"

"Of course I do! I'm a grown man!" Spencer yelled in response. As Carly turned back around towards the TV, Spencer shuffled to the side and pulled out the waistband of his pants. "Oh thank goodness..." He said quietly as he looked down.

"Did I miss anything?" Freddie asked, curious about their references to Spencer's pants and underwear.

"Nothing out of the norm.." Sam replied as she flipped over from her side and laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

"So seriously guys, do I look decent?" Spencer asked as he walked over to the front of the couch and did a full body turn in front of the kids.

"Yup." Freddie replied as Carly nodded in agreement.

"You're in front of the TV. Move." Sam stated firmly.

"Ok ok!" He side stepped out of her view. "Now will you look at me!" He pleaded. She looked him up and down.

"Knock her dead James Bond." Sam gave him a thumbs up.

"Awesome." He smiled as he ran over to the kitchen. "Now I'm going to be out for a bit. Mrs. Benson will be..."

"UGHHH...." Everyone moaned, even Freddie.

"We know......get Freddie's mom if there's trouble. Got it!" Carly finished for him.

"Well then miss smarty pants!" Spencer stuck his nose up in the air and turned away from her. "I have nothing else to say to you." He grabbed a set of keys off the counter and started to walk to the door.

"Spencer.." Carly started to say but he held his hand up to stop her.

"Good bye!" He stated in mock anger as he left the apartment and shut the door. Carly just laughed at her brother's silly antics.

"So...who's his date with?" Sam asked Carly.

"You know...I have no clue."

"Doesn't he go out with like a new girl each week?" Freddie wondered out loud.

"Yeah. I kind of lost count.."

"Sounds like my mom." Sam replied, covering another yawn with her hand. She looked up as Freddie and Carly waited for an explanation. "You know, loosing count of her dates...? She could be on one right now for all I know. I have no clue where she's been for the past day."

"What? How could you not know where your mom is?" Freddie asked.

"Easy. It's a trade off. I don't have to know where she is, and she doesn't have to know where I am." Sam stated as if this were normal parent/child behavior.

"That's....odd." Carly chose her words carefully.

"What do you expect with my mother?"

"True." Carly agreed. "Anyways, so you don't know where your mom is tonight?"

"Nope." Sam replied. "Yesterday she said something about going somewhere for a few days. Then she gave me my allowance for food and walked out."

"The allowance you blew on beef jerky?" Carly pointed to Sam's stomach.

"Yeah.." Sam replied sheepishly, realizing that wasn't one of her better plans.

"That's irresponsible." Freddie shook his head in disappointment.

"Well what do you do with your allowance? Buy some ointment for your butt rash?" Sam shot back.

"No! I save it just incase something important comes along." He retorted.

"Like a girl that accepts cash? You know what those are called Fredward? They're called..."

"OK THAT'S ENOUGH!" Carly cut in before Sam could finish that sentence. "So, you have like no food at your house?" Carly softened her voice.

"Meh, I have some strips of beef jerky." Sam shrugged.

"Look at where that's gotten you." Freddie replied with a smug face. Sam glared at him. Carly grabbed the remote and turned around and smacked him on the leg, but not hard enough to really hurt him.

"Quiet!"

"Hey!" He rubbed his leg. Sam just sat there chuckling as Carly turned back around to her.

"You wanna stay over for a night? Or a few...?" She made sure she let Sam know that she was welcome at her apartment for a few nights if her mother wasn't back from who knows where.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks." Sam smiled.

"No problem! Now, who's hungry?" Carly asked.

"I am!" Freddie replied happily. They both looked at Sam.

"Meh, go on without me." She shrugged.

"Samantha Puckett, turning down a meal? Alert the media!" Freddie put his hands on the sides of his cheeks and opened his mouth wide as if in shock.

"YOU'VE ASKED FOR IT!" Sam leaped up from the couch and dove over Carly. She ducked as Sam jumped over her and tackled Freddie to the ground.

"AH! GET HER OFF! GET HER OFF! HELP ME!" Freddie cried out as Sam pinned him to the ground on his stomach and grabbed one of his ankles and pulled it up to his behind for leverage.

"Huh Frednerd? What's that? I can't hear you!" Sam smirked as Freddie squirmed underneath her.

"CARLY!" He cried out.

"Guys!" Carly shook off her initial shock of witnessing her best friend spring into action like that and ran over to the two on the ground. "Sam, stop!" She grabbed her arm and tried to drag her off of Freddie but Carly was no match for Sam's strength. Letting go of her arm, Carly realized she needed to pull her off completely and the only way to do that was to get a better hold on her angry friend than just an arm. "Sam!" Carly yelled as she ran over and wrapped her arms around Sam's body and started to pull up. Freddie was relieved to feel the weight lifting.

"But Carly, he's been asking for this all night!" Sam fought back against her friend, trying to get a hold of Freddie again.

"You've got to calm down!" Carly replied as she fought against Sam's struggling. In the tussle, Carly's arms had slipped a bit lower around Sam's waist.

"AHHH!" Sam screamed as she felt a jolt of pain shoot up from her abdomen. This caused her to loose her grip on Freddie and roll off him, making Carly topple on top of her.

"Sam!" Carly was laying on top of her and quickly sat up, avoiding putting any pressure on her friend's stomach. "What's wrong?" She looked down and watched as tears streamed from her friend's eyes.

"My stomach....You hit my stomach." Sam tried to explain through gritted teeth.

"Should I get my mom?!" Freddie asked frantically as he sat up from the floor.

"Yes, go get her!" Carly waved for him to go to the door. As Freddie started to get up Sam grabbed his hand and pulled him back down.

"No don't." She took a deep breath. "It's starting to go away. It's not hurting anymore." She let out a few more breaths. "I'm ok."

"But Sam, you were in tears!" Carly exclaimed as she helped her sit up.

"What do you expect? You gave me a bear hug of death." Sam laughed weakly as Carly helped her stand up.

"Well yeah but.... I think we should still get Mrs. Benson." Carly replied, uncertain of her friend's quick recovery.

"What? So she could tell me I stuffed my body over it's capacity with dried out meat? I already know that! No need to invite her here! We won't be able to get rid of her!"

"Hey!" Freddie yelled back but then thought for a moment. "Yeah...I agree with Sam." Carly looked back and forth between Freddie and Sam's faces.

"Think about it Carls. A whole night with your GAL PAL." Sam stressed the last words hoping it would change Carly's mind.

"Fine." She reluctantly agreed. "But no more physical fighting. At all." Carly stated firmly as she stared at Sam.

"Done." Sam put her hands up in defeat.

"Now go lay down." Carly pointed to the couch.

"Alright." Sam responded without a fight. Normally she hated to be told what to do, but the couch sounded good. Plus it was Carly who was instructing her, the only person she cared enough to listen to. She walked over and laid down.

"Freddie, are you still hungry?" Carly asked as she turned around to the boy, making sure she didn't forget about him.

"Uh yeah."

"Spencer left some sandwiches for me in the fridge. Take whichever one you want." She turned back towards Sam who was now sprawled out over the couch. "Glass of water?"

"Yes please." Sam croaked out.

"Coming right up." Carly walked over to the fridge where Freddie was currently rummaging around for a sandwich. "Hand me a bottle of water?"

"Sure." He grabbed one and gave it to Carly then returned his sight back into the fridge. "Ooh, a turkey sandwich! Yum!" He pulled the sandwich out and closed the door. "You don't want one?" He turned to her.

"Nah, I already ate before you guys showed up." Carly opened the bottle of water and poured it into a red glass. She dropped a few ice cubes into it and walked over to her cupboard. She pulled out a blue silly straw with a monkey sitting on the curve--secretly Sam's favorite one. She placed it in the cup and walked over to Sam who started to sit up. "Here you go." She handed her friend the cup and sat down next to her.

"Aww, Mr. Bananas." Sam smiled as she took a sip.

"He wants you to feel better." Carly replied as Sam chuckled at her friend.

"Ok." Sam got the message as she put the glass on the table and laid back down, resting her head on Carly's lap.

"So, we're just hanging out here today?" Freddie walked over with a plate in his hand, holding his sandwich with the other and taking a bite.

"Yup, pretty much." Carly responded.

"Cool." Freddie took a seat in the a chair as there wasn't any room on the couch. "TV?" He asked.

"TV." Carly replied, clicking the power button on the remote.

* * *

**So they basically started at the TV and ended at the TV lol. I'll try and update this story asap! Please tell me what you think!  
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**(PS-Does anyone else besides me get aggravated by the pop ups here on fanfiction. net? You know, the ones where the page has already finished loading and you're starting to read a story and then BAM. You're looking at a big red KABOODLE sign? I hate that! ARG! .....sorry. Had to vent. xD)**


	3. What Goes Down, May Come Up!

**I just wanted to say I was actually stunned when I checked my inbox for the last chapter. I think every person that put my story on alert left me a review. It was flooded with emails!!! You guys don't realize how much it meant to me that you read my author's note and actually cared enough to respond to my wishes! I couldn't ask for a better group of readers! Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart! =) Thanks to you guys, I wrote up this chapter instead of taking a break! Enjoy!**

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**Carly, Freddie, and Sam were once again staring at the TV guide channel. Awkward music played as the titles of various shows scrolled up slowly. The trio sat there in silence for a while until Freddie sat up in his chair.

"There's nothing on!"

"I know..." Carly sighed. "We could always switch to the Dingo channel and laugh at it..."

"Alright." Freddie replied.

"Sure, I don't care." Sam mumbled. Carly clicked the remote to Dingo.

**"And now back to the newest episode of Totally Teri!" **A voice on the TV spoke as the show opened to a scene where a boy and a girl were sitting at a table in a restaurant.

**"This pasta is good Jake."** The girl stuck her fork into her plate.

**"Yup, it is Teri."** Jake agreed. Carly, Freddie, and Sam each exchanged odd looks at each other as the kids just sat there eating their food without a word to each other. The program didn't continue on with dialogue for a whole three silent minutes.

**"I'm done with my plate."** Teri finally said as she put her fork down.

**"Me too."** Jake replied as he placed his napkin on the table. **"Check please!"** Jake held up his hand to signal a waiter to the table when the scene froze. Credits started to roll up the screen signaling that was the end of the episode. A man's voice started to speak.

**"To be continued! Stay tuned for the next new episode of Totally Teri to find out what happens! Premiering Saturday!" **The voice then got drastically quieter and practically inaudible.** "We hope.."**

"Wow......" Carly changed the channel.

"That was even more uneventful than the yule log!" Sam exclaimed.

"They're really bombing aren't they?" Freddie paused for a moment. "Good." He smiled. "At least those Totally Teri writers listened to our threat."

"I give em one more episode before cancellation." Sam replied. Carly looked down at her on her lap.

"Why?" She cocked an eyebrow. Sam looked up.

"We gotta know how it ends. An important cliffhanger such as that needs an answer!" She explained as they all chuckled.

"I guess that's true." Freddie laughed.

"I say the dude pays the check." Carly replied.

"Nah, they split it." Freddie corrected her.

"You're both wrong." Sam looked at Carly then at Freddie. "They're definitely going to run out without paying."

"What makes you say that?" Carly asked her.

"Did you see the look on Jake's face? That dude was definitely up to something sketchy..." Sam said suspiciously.

"Not everyone has the same dining habits as your family!" Freddie responded in jest.

"Pft, paying is for the rich." Sam just laughed and rolled her eyes at him.

"So guys, we're back to where we started." Carly motioned to the TV guide which once again stared back at them pitifully. They all groaned.

"Hey, wait a sec!" Sam looked at the TV. "Channel 56!" Freddie leaned forward to read the title.

"Airplane?" He asked.

"Oh yeah! I love that movie!" Carly replied happily.

"Same!" Sam smiled, excited they found something to finally watch. Freddie just looked at the girls with a confused expression on his face.

"What's Airplane?" They just stared back at him.

"What!? You haven't seen that movie?" Carly asked in amazement.

"Surely you must of seen it before!" Sam told him.

"No...." Freddie stated as he looked back and forth at them.

"I guess he hasn't seen it Sam.." Carly looked down at her. "...and don't call him Shirley." With that ending statement the two girls busted out in laughter.

"Oh man Carls, I was wondering if you'd follow through with the joke." Sam, not being able to contain her laughter while laying down, slowly sat up.

"You know it!" Carly held out her fist and Sam bumped it with hers.

"What the heck are you guys talking about? I'm so confused!" Freddie exclaimed.

"Ahh nevermind. You're outta the loop." Sam rolled her eyes. "Turn it on!" Carly did as she was told and flipped over to 56.

"What's it about?" He asked as they watched the opening credits.

"Uh well you see.." Carly started off.

"There's this airplane...." Sam cut in.

"With this guy.." Carly continued.

"And stuff happens." Sam finished.

"Wow." Freddie held a blank expression on his face. "That was extremely helpful." He faked appreciation.

"Just watch the movie Fredhead." Sam spat back.

"Fine." He slumped down in his seat.

* * *

"Man, this movie is funny!" Freddie held back some chuckles. They had been watching the movie for a while now, and he was starting to understand why the girls were so excited to watch it.

"See, we told you it was good!" Carly looked at him.

"Ok! I'll never doubt you and Sam again." Freddie replied but then stopped. "Well, I'll never doubt _you_ again...but can't say the same for Sam." He was then hit in the face with a pillow. "Hey!" He pulled it off and held it in his hands, glaring at the perpetrator.

"You should of seen it coming." Sam replied. Freddie just mumbled as he put it down.

"You're in a pillow throwing mood today aren't you?" Carly laughed. Even she was almost hit by one of Sam's fluffy bombs earlier.

"Hey, they're the closest projectiles." She shrugged.

"I guess I should be thankful they're soft." Freddie rubbed his chin where the pillow hit.

"You should." Sam replied firmly.

"Guys! The movie?" Carly pointed to the TV.

"Sorry." They both replied in unison.

* * *

More time had passed, and the movie was getting increasingly funny. Both Carly and Freddie were laughing up a storm, but Sam wasn't. The pains in her stomach had started to come back, and the nausea was practically unbearable now. This was one of the rare times Carly was so engrossed in something that she didn't notice her friend's pain. Sam was thankful for that because she didn't want them to worry.

_'Man, I'm going to spew chunks..'_ Sam moaned in her head, feeling incredibly sick. She glanced at her two friends as they stared at the screen. She decided to put on a false act to get out of there. She slowly picked herself up from the couch and started to walk away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Carly asked, her attention now on her best friend. Freddie looked away from the screen too.

"Oh, just the bathroom. Heh. It's the water." Sam pointed to her empty water glass sitting on the table.

"Oh ok. Well hurry back! You'll miss the funny part!" Carly replied, figuring there was nothing out of the normal about taking a pee break.

"They're all funny." Sam replied half heartedly with a smile. As she turned around, her face changed from fake happiness to excruciating pain. She knew she had to get out of there quickly lest she ruin the carpet. With Freddie and Carly's sight preoccupied with the movie, Sam quickly walked to Spencer's bathroom hunched over and holding her stomach.

Once she got there, she closed the door quietly with a click. She walked over to the toilet, crouched down and opened the lid. Sam grit her teeth and closed her eyes tight as she felt the nausea and food rush up. She used all of her strength to avoid making gagging noises as she puked up last night's dinner--if you could call it dinner. Afterward she opened her eyes and wished she hadn't looked.

"Oh beef jerky.." Sam stated sadly. "How could something so good turn out so bad?" She grimaced away from the toilet. Just as she was about to pull the flush handle, she felt another wave come up. "Urp.." She moaned as she once again released the contents of her stomach into the porcelain bowl. She coughed a few times after and realized the nausea was gone...for now. Feeling confident enough to pull the flush handle this time, she did and stood up and looked into the mirror. Her face was a ghastly shade of white and her eyes were red.

"That's attractive.." She muttered as she wiped cold sweat off her brow. She then turned on the faucet at the sink when she heard Carly's muffled voice yell from the living room.

"Hey, you alright in there?"

"You're missing a lot!" Freddie added. Sam walked over and cracked the bathroom door open slightly.

"Um yeah, just washing my hands." She called out, then shut the door and walked back to the sink. Cupping a handful of water, Sam rose it to her mouth and washed away the taste of sour beef jerky and who knows what else before spitting it back into the sink. She then reached over and grabbed a hand towel off the towel rack. After letting some cool water run over it, she washed her face to get rid of her after-puke look. When she was done, she realized she had color in her face once more and her eyes were clearing up.

_'Alright. Not bad.' _Sam looked at herself. Not only did she look better, but she felt better, minus the dull ache in her stomach which had seemed to moved towards the right side of her abdomen. She looked down at her stomach and poked at it. "Move wherever you want." She spoke to it. "As long as you're starting to go away, I don't care where you go!" Now feeling presentable, she made her way out of the bathroom and walked back to her friends.

"Hey.." Freddie started as Sam sat back down next to Carly on the couch. "....what took you so long to wash your hands?" He asked, putting a fake hint of mockery in his voice, although in reality he was actually concerned. Carly wasn't the only one to notice odd behavior from Sam, and Freddie could see something in her face that wasn't normal. It was as if she was exhausted from that short trip.

"Oh, it was the soap. I took my time using it. You've got some fancy stuff in there Carls! Better than the bargain wholesale bunches my mom buys. Those can give you a horrible rash and they even turned my hands green once." Sam gave a quick laugh. "Here's a tip, if you ever come across a bar of soap reading "Duve", don't use it." Carly let out a small chuckle at her friend's statement but snuck a worried side glance to Freddie. She saw that he also had an unsure expression on his face about their friend's condition. They both looked at each other and shared an unspoken thought. _'Keep an eye on Sam'._ Carly gave a small nod to Freddie of understanding and looked back at her best friend.

"Yes, Spencer does pride himself on his fancy soaps. He even stole a few from Japan. You're welcome to take some if your mom ever buys "Duve" again." Carly laughed.

"Nice! I'll hold you to that Shay." Sam replied, and Carly knew she would. "So where are we in the movie?" Sam pointed to the TV.

"Oh, the passengers just got sick from eating the airplane's bad fish. That guy over there just used his barf bag." Freddie replied. Sam gave a nod of thanks to him and looked back at the screen.

_'I hate irony...'_ She thought.

* * *

**Sam's getting worse, and even Freddie's noticing things! Also I must point out that most of you guys are right as to what her affliction is! I just don't want to use the term until that part comes in the story. =) Hope you liked this chapter! Tell me your thoughts!**

**(PS-Anyone else like Airplane!? Amazingly funny movie! Definitely recommended to those who haven't seen it! And if you want to know what it's about, take Carly and Sam's word for it. There's an airplane, a guy, and stuff happens. Just watch it. xD)**


	4. Fever

**I don't know why, but I have been just writing up a storm! It usually takes me around six days to post up a new chapter, but it's been so fun writing this one that I can't stop! Thanks for the kind comments! =) **

**

* * *

**Sam was now currently laying down on one side of the couch, and Carly was laying down on the other. Freddie was still in his chair, but with a freshly popped bowl of popcorn sitting in his lap. He dug his hand into the popcorn and munched excitedly as he watched. A passenger had just found out he was the only one aboard the flight who was able to land the plane.

"This is getting good..." Freddie muffled as a few popcorn bits fell between his fingers into his lap.

"Yup." Carly responded to him with a smile. Both her and Sam knew how it ended, but it was funny to see Freddie on the edge of his seat. As Carly returned her gaze to the TV, Sam shifted uncomfortably in her position.

_'I was feeling a lot better before...'_ She ran her hand through her hair. _'but now..' _She strained her neck to look up at Freddie and Carly. _'Damn it!' _Sam scowled at herself for playing up this fake act of feeling alright. She was almost to the point of wanting to tell her friends she felt horrible and needed help, but her pride got in the way. _'No. I'm not going to bother them. I probably just got some sort of stomach virus. I can deal.' _She looked up at the ceiling and thought for a moment as she put some pressure on her stomach with two of her fingers. As soon as she let go, sharp jolts of pain shot within her. Upon feeling that, she realized that eventually she'd have to give up her act. She was staying over at Carly's for the night and was definitely going to need medicine of some sort._ 'I'll let Freddie finish his movie, then I'll tell Carly what's up.' _Sam finally decided on that plan. That way, she wouldn't bother them, and she would get the help she needed. _'There's no harm in waiting another half hour or so.' _Sam thought as she turned her head and looked at her glass on the table. Mr. Bananas sat pathetically in the empty cup. _'God, I need a drink of water.' _Sam remarked feeling as if the room was on fire. Slowly she sat up and swung her feet over to the floor.

"Carls.." She started.

"Hmm?" Carly turned her head and looked at her friend.

"Mind if I get another glass of water?"

"Sure.....do you want me to get it?" Carly offered. Sam wanted to say yes very badly.

"Nah. I can do it." She replied, taking a hold of her glass and standing up slowly.

"Alright." Carly watched as she left the couch and walked to the kitchen. She could tell her friend's stomach was still upset because of the way Sam kept her hand on it.

"Er.." Sam growled quietly as she let go of her stomach once she got to the fridge. She realized that it didn't hurt anymore with pressure, but actually hurt more after the pressure was taken off. That's how she kept the sharp pains from making her walk hunched to avoid suspicion from her friends. After the pain subsided for the time being, she opened the fridge, reached in, and grabbed another bottle of water. She closed the door and walked over to the kitchen table. As she twisted off the cap and started to pour it into her cup, her eyes drifted back towards the fridge, specifically the freezer.

_'I wonder..'_ Sam set the empty plastic water bottle down and walked over to it and opened the small door. Almost as if a beacon from Heaven, a container of vanilla ice cream sat there in all it's frozen glory. Her nausea had been overcome by the unbearable heat her body was experiencing, and Sam couldn't think of anything more she wanted in the world than that tub of ice cream. If someone set a bag of a million dollars on the table next to the vanilla ice cream and told her to choose, Sam would of snatched up the frozen treat....that's how badly she wanted it.

"Carly!" She called out. Carly jumped up from her position on the couch and looked to the kitchen, not expecting to hear her friend yell. Freddie also turned around to see what was up. They saw Sam standing in front of the refrigerator staring into the freezer as if she was in a trance. "Can I have some of this ice cream?" She turned around and looked back at them.

"Yeah." Carly laughed. "Sure." She had thought there was a problem, but when she found out all Sam wanted was food, she couldn't help but laugh. She then leaned over towards Freddie and whispered to him. "Guess Sam's starting to go back to normal."

"Looks like it." He agreed. "Better lock up the food!" He laughed. Carly just rolled her eyes in humor as she laid back down on the couch.

Meanwhile, Sam had pulled the treat out of the freezer and now held it in her hands. She snuck a quick glance at her friends to make sure they weren't looking, then put the ice cream container against her head. _'That feels awesome..'_ She sighed. Unfortunately the cool feeling was short lived. As soon as she removed it from her forehead, the heat returned,as if someone with a flame thrower just fired it at her at full power. She set the ice cream down on the table and walked over to the cabinets. Sam knew where Spencer kept everything so there was no guessing and testing. She opened the bowl cabinet and picked out the biggest one she could find. It was around the size of a salad bowl but she didn't care. She turned around and put it on the table alongside the ice cream. After getting a spoon, Sam opened the container and started to pull chunks of ice cream out and place it in her bowl. After emptying about half the container she stopped. It was Carly and Spencer's ice cream and it would be rude of her to take it all.

_'Wow, since when have I started caring about taking all of their food?' _Sam thought oddly as she closed up the ice cream and put it back in the freezer. _'Must be because I'm sick.' _She confirmed as she walked back over to the table and grabbed her glass of water and bowl of ice cream. She walked out of the kitchen, and back to her spot on the couch where she sat down. Freddie eyed the huge bowl in her hands.

"Geeze Sam! Why not just put the spoon directly into the ice cream container? Seems like a moot point to be using a bowl."

"Your face is a moot point!" Sam shot back. "And I didn't take all of it." She looked down at the bowl. "...only half." She replied softly.

"Alright alright, don't make me put you guys in time out!" Carly sat up and pointed an accusing finger at both of her friends. Freddie laughed.

"Ok!" He held his hands up signaling he was going to end the bickering and returned his sight back to the movie. Carly, satisfied by his actions, turned around to her friend.

"You know I don't care about how much you take." She smiled at Sam.

"Thanks." She replied, grateful for her friend's generosity. She then stuck her spoon into the ice cream and took a bite. As she swallowed it, the cool sensation it gave as it slid down her throat felt amazing. All three of them resumed watching the movie quietly.

* * *

More time had passed. Carly was now sitting Indian style on the couch, and Sam sat next to her, facing the TV with her feet resting on the table. The movie was nearing it's end, and so was Sam. The ice cream treat did wonders for her, but eventually she couldn't eat anymore as the nausea and heat decided to battle it out. Nausea was currently winning, but heat wasn't giving up. She glanced at the empty ice cream bowl sitting on the table between her feet and wished she could eat more, but it was impossible. As she sighed, she looked up at the TV.

**"We're all counting on you."** A white haired man stated to the passenger as he left the cockpit. Meanwhile, the passenger was having a hard time figuring out how to land the plane. Sweat was literally pouring off of him to the point of drastic over dramatization. His shirt was soaked and the sweat poured down his forehead covering his eyes and spraying everywhere.

_'I can relate..'_ Sam thought in her head as she watched the man on TV become drenched in his own sweat. Suddenly the picture had started to become blurry and Sam rubbed her eyes with her fists. When she looked up the picture was clear again, but then returned to being blurry.

"Unnn..." She groaned as she felt the room starting to spin. She had to close her eyes to stop the dizziness. Carly heard her friend's slight noise of discomfort and looked over.

"Are you ok?" Carly watched as Sam took her feet off the table and sat up. She then grabbed the sides of her head with her hands and bent down, putting her head between her knees.

"No.." Sam moaned. "Everything's....spinning." Her muffled voice replied. Carly scooted over closer to her and put a comforting hand on her back. She then looked over towards Freddie and saw he hadn't heard that Sam was in distress.

"Freddie!" Carly waved him over. The boy looked away from the TV and saw that Sam was scrunched up.

"Hey! Is she ok?" He asked worriedly as he jumped up from his seat and walked over to the couch.

"No. She's dizzy." Carly replied as she rubbed her hand back and forth on her friend's back, trying her best to help. "Also..." Carly reached over and touched Sam's neck, shocked by the amount of body heat that was coming off of her. "I think she has a temperature. Sam, can you sit up for a second?" Sam did as she was told, slowly. As she sat up, the world seemed to tilt to the right and she fell against Carly's shoulder, not having enough strength to lift her head off. Carly put her hand to her forehead and definitely felt a fever. "Freddie, get your mom." Carly stated firmly as he watched sympathetically.

"Alright!" He turned around and ran out of the apartment. Carly watched as he left the door open in his haste. She then turned her attention back towards her sick friend who was now moaning.

"Sam, Freddie's getting his mom." Carly said softly as her friend continued to moan. "Sam...?" She didn't make any indication that she heard.

"Ok.." Sam replied sadly. She definitely didn't want things to turn out like this. "Carly?" Sam looked up at her best friend with tired eyes.

"Yeah?" Carly looked down at her with a worried expression.

"Did you let Missy touch that ice cream?" Sam gave a weak smile as she let out a pained laugh.

* * *

**Things are going downhill fast! **


	5. Need To Get Help

"Freddie, get your mom." Carly had instructed him.

"Alright!" He ran out of the apartment, forgetting to close the door behind him. Freddie made his way across the very short hallway to his own door. After stopping for a moment to get his keys from his pocket, he unlocked the door and bolted into his apartment.

"Mom!" Freddie called out as he looked around the main room. She wasn't sitting on the living room couch, so he made a dash for the kitchen area. "Mom?" He asked as he realized there was no sign of her there either. As his eyes swept around the room he realized there was a piece of paper on the counter. Quickly walking over to it, he snatched it up and started to read.

**Fredward,**

**I went to the store to get some groceries. I'll be back within the hour. Until then, stay at Carly's. Hugs and kisses sweetie.**

**-Love Mom**

**(PS-I'm also going to go to the pharmacy for some more tick lotion.)**

His eyes went wide as he finished the note.

"She's not here." He slowly spoke as he looked up from the paper. "The one time we need you and you're not here!" He mumbled in frustration as he put the note back down on the counter. "Gotta tell the girls.." He turned around and ran back out of his apartment.

* * *

Meanwhile back at the Shay apartment Carly continued to hold her best friend up.

"No.." The brunette girl started to say. "I don't think we let Missy near the fridge." she smiled sympathetically.

"That's good. Who knows what that she-beast could have done if she was armed with more than just chocolate." Sam gave a small chuckle then winced. "Uhh, this is worse than that Persian chocolate stomach bomb though..." Sam shut her eyes tight. Carly looked down at her laying on her shoulder in pain.

"Everything's going to be alright Sam." Carly tried to her best to help out, but she didn't know what she could do other than talk to her until Freddie came back.

"Geeze Carly, you're talking to me as if I'm dying." Sam gave a small smile. "I've just got some sort of bug..."

"I know, but still. I'm worried about this. I've never seen a bug work so fast!" Carly exclaimed recalling the short amount of time it took for Sam to be knocked off her feet.

"Hey, what can I say? My bug is talented." Sam joked. Carly was happy she still had a sense of humor despite feeling like hell. "Though I could use your help with something.." Sam stated hesitantly.

"Sure, anything..." Carly responded softly.

"I think I have to go puke again.." Sam swallowed hard. She didn't want to bother her best friend, but realized Carly would probably be more upset if she was vomited on.

"Oh! Ok, let's get you to..." Carly stopped in mid sentence. "Wait. Puke _again_?" She looked at Sam who just stared back at her wide eyed, not realizing she had let her words slip, and then looked away in shame. "Uh nevermind! Lets get you to the toilet." Carly decided now was not the time to berate her friend's behavior. Plus she was angrier at herself for not realizing what Sam had to go to the bathroom for earlier.

"Unh.." Sam moaned as Carly helped her stand up from the couch. As soon as she was up though, the world started to spin again causing her knees to buckle and she almost fell back down until Carly grabbed her and held her up.

"Here, put your arm around me." She took Sam's arm and put it behind her neck so she could use her body for support. "I'll help you walk." Carly said gently as she wrapped her own arm around Sam's body and led the weak girl towards the bathroom.

"Thanks.." Sam stated quietly as she felt her best friend's arms guide her through the living room. Once they got to the bathroom, Carly reached over and opened the door and led them in.

"Here.." Carly slowly helped Sam to kneel on the floor in front of the toilet. She then bent down alongside her sick friend and opened the lid. Sam gripped the sides of the toilet and leaned in, feeling her stomach start to spasm. Carly pulled her friend's blond hair in a ponytail and held it up for her as she started to gag. _'Oh man, she's really sick..' _Carly thought to herself as she watched Sam violently throw up the ice cream she had eaten before.

* * *

Meanwhile, Freddie ran back into Carly's apartment and looked around. There was no one there.

"Are you kidding me?" He asked as he did a full 360 in the middle of the living room and noticed the girls were gone. "First my mom! Now Carly and Sam?!" He pulled at his hair in frustration. "Carly! Where'd you guys go?" He yelled out.

"In here!" Freddie turned around as he heard Carly's voice come from the bathroom. He ran over there and stopped in the doorway.

"Hey, why'd you...." His question was cut off as Sam vomited once more in the toilet. "Oh." He responded as he looked over at Carly, who looked back at him with a worried look.

"Is your mom here?" Carly asked hopefully as Sam started to cough. Carly patted her on the back with one hand while keeping the ponytail up with the other.

"No! She's not in the apartment!" Freddie exclaimed.

"What?!" Carly shouted out. She then looked over at Sam then back at Freddie. "Here, you stay with Sam while I go call Spencer."

"Sure." Freddie walked over to where Carly was kneeling down and the two switched places. Carly handed Freddie Sam's ponytail, and stood up.

"I'll be right back!" Carly said before she ran out of the bathroom. Freddie watched her leave then turned his attention to Sam.

"I guess you shouldn't of eaten that much ice cream?" He tried to lighten the mood. She coughed and spat into the toilet.

"No." she replied. "But it felt so good then...and...urp." She leaned forward once more, gagging. Freddie sat in silence and let her finish. "I'm never eating again." she mumbled.

"Nah, you're just saying this now." Freddie told her. "But you'll get better and be back to your old self in no time. Don't worry about it!"

"Huh?" Sam turned around and looked at him. "Are you actually trying to comfort me?"

"Well, is it working?" Freddie gave a small unsure look at her. He saw her think for a moment before answering.

"Actually, yeah..." Sam replied.

"Then yes." He gave her a small smile. She smiled back before grimacing as more pain filled her abdomen.

"Ugh, what's wrong with me?" Sam moaned as she once again had to turn around to face the toilet.

"Not sure, but we're going to get you help."

* * *

As Carly left Sam in Freddie's care, she ran into the living room. "Gotta call Spencer.." Carly spoke to herself as she went into the kitchen. She found her backpack on the table and dug through it. Once she found her Pear Phone, she held down the number two button which had her brother on speed dial.

"C'mon, pick up..." Carly wished to herself as her phone started to ring.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a fancy restaurant called "Le Food Petite" Spencer was sitting at a table with a beautiful brunette girl in a red dress named Jen. She had her elbows on the table and held her head in her hands while staring at Spencer with disinterest as he talked.

"So then I bought some new paints to use on my sculpture because you see, I had forgotten to close up the old paints after I was done with them and they dried out." Spencer continued to talk and Jen sighed in frustration, glancing at a clock over on the wall. She then turned her attention back to him. ".....and after I bought the new paints, guess what? I left them open AGAIN!" Spencer smacked the table with his fist, laughing as if he told the best story ever.

_'Kill me.' _She thought. She then watched as a waiter brought over their plates. _'Thank god.' _

"Oh hey look, our food!" Spencer smiled happily as his plate was set down in front of him. His excitement wore off when he realized how small the proportions were. "Um excuse me sir." Spencer waved back the waiter.

"Yes?" The waiter questioned as he turned around.

"We already had our appetizers. We're ready for the main course." Spencer pointed to the plate.

"Sir, that is the main course."

"What?! But look how tiny it is!" Spencer exclaimed.

"Spencer, please." Jen remarked for him to keep his voice down. She then looked over at the waiter. "It's alright." She signaled that he could leave. He nodded and walked away. Jen looked back at her date. "That _is_ what you ordered."

"No! I ordered chicken! This is not a chicken!" He yelled out as he picked up the tiny thing up by it's pathetic wing. It was no bigger than the size of an orange. "Why is it so small?!" He spoke loudly as people from other tables glared at him.

"Quiet down." Jen replied. "This restaurant is known for it's small servings. Why do you think it's called 'Le Food Petite'?"

"I thought it just meant they served french food." Spencer shrugged as Jen rolled her eyes.

"Petite means small." She sighed. "Listen, I'm going to go powder my nose. Please don't upset the other customers while I'm gone." She grabbed her purse, got up, and walked away. Spencer just mumbled as his stomach growled.

"I should of eaten before I came..." He poked at his tiny chicken. Just then his cell phone rang loudly causing him to jump. As he pulled it out of his pocket he realized various people in the restaurant shushed him. "YOU'RE ALL JUST CRANKY BECAUSE YOU'RE HUNGRY AND YOUR FOOD ISN'T BIG ENOUGH TO FILL A HAMSTER UP!" He yelled back at them, then looked down at his cell. The name 'Carly' read on it. He flipped it open.

"Hey Carly, I'm glad you called! This date has been horrible! And I...." Spencer's small conversation was cut short as he heard his sister yell in his ear to quit talking for a second. He held the phone away from his head and winced. "Man, you're just like Jen." He laughed to her on the phone.

"Spencer listen to me. I need you back here." Carly's voice held a tone that made Spencer realize she wasn't joking around. His face changed from his usual goofy smile to a look of concern.

"Why, what's wrong?" He asked seriously.

"Sam's sick. Like _really_ sick."

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"She has a lot of pain in her stomach and she's vomiting right now." Carly's voice crackled on the phone. "Mrs. Benson isn't in her apartment and we need you! Freddie and I don't know what to do!"

"Oh, ok ok. You're breaking up. I'll be right there." Spencer exchanged a quick good bye with his sister and shut his cell. He then got up and ran towards an exit. As soon as he left, Jen came out of the bathroom and walked back to the table.

"Huh?" She saw the empty chair and realized her date wasn't there. As she looked around, the waiter came up to her with a small dish and a piece of paper on it.

"Your bill miss?" He handed it to her and walked away. She looked at it and her eyes widened at the price of the two meals combined.

"Worst. Date. Ever." She muttered as she dug into her purse for her wallet.

* * *

Carly hung up her cellphone, slipped it into her pocket, and made her way back to the bathroom. She got to the doorway and saw that Sam was still hunched over the toilet with a worried Freddie sitting next to her.

"Guys, Spencer's on his way."

"Good." Freddie replied as Sam put a hand to her head and wiped off some sweat that had trickled down her face.

"He should be here soon." Carly walked over and picked up a hand towel off the sink counter and ran it under the faucet. After squeezing the excess water out of it so it was damp instead of soaking, she bent down next to Sam's side and held the cloth to her forehead. "Here you go." Carly stated softly as she helped wipe the sweat off her friend with the cool cloth. Freddie held up Sam's hair so Carly could help alleviate the feverish heat from her neck.

"Thank...you.." Sam replied tiredly. All these little actions her friends were doing for her....she just couldn't thank them enough for it. And as she felt the cool sensation on her forehead and neck, she realized the nausea was starting to go away once more. Either that or she didn't have anything left in her stomach to puke. "I t-think I'm done." Sam croaked out as she reached for the flusher and pulled it.

"Ok, let's get you back to the couch." Freddie stated as both he and Carly helped her up.

_'I can't even feel my legs....' _Sam mentally noted and wondered how she was moving through the rooms even though her legs weren't working. Either she was going spacey or Carly and Freddie had so much strength that she didn't have to exert any. _'I think it's both..'_ Sam thought in her head as everything started to go hazy. She felt like she was in a dream and was floating along. The only thing that tied her down to reality was the boy and girl settling her down on the couch.

"Is that alright?" Carly asked as she helped Sam lay her head down on a pillow.

"Huh?" She looked up at Carly and realized she was starting to phase into three Carlys.

"Sam?" The voice sounded far away as blackness started to drop down and cover the three Carlys.

"Where are you going Carls....?" Sam slurred as she watched the blackness fully envelop her friend.

"Sam?!" Carly had been yelling out her friend's name when she saw her eyelids go down.

"I think she passed out!" Freddie exclaimed.

"That's bad! What should we do?!" Carly couldn't believe everything was happening so fast and was starting to panic.

"Listen, my mom is a part time nurse. She'll know what to do medically!" Freddie explained.

"But she's not here!"

"No, but she said she went grocery shopping and to the pharmacy. Those stores are right around the corner. If I run, I'm betting I could get her here within five minutes." Freddie told her as he got up and made his way over to the elevator and pressed the button.

"What about a cellphone? How about calling her?" Carly asked.

"She doesn't have one! She thinks the government will listen in on her calls." Freddie exchanged an odd glance with Carly. "I know, she's weird. I'm going to go get her."

"Alright, but try and hurry back."

"I will!" Freddie replied as the elevator door slid upwards and he stepped in. Carly watched as the big metal door closed down on him, leaving her alone with Sam. Carly sighed and picked up the hand towel she had carried over with her from the bathroom and set it on her friend's hot forehead. She then pulled up a chair and sat next to her, taking her hand.

"Please be alright.." Carly said softly as she rubbed her Sam's hand.

* * *

**I hoped you liked this chapter. I took a break in the middle of writing it so I hope it doesn't seem choppy at some parts! I usually don't leave my computer once I start a chapter until it's done, but my mom came home with a sub! I was too hungy to resist! Lol! **


	6. Enter: Spencer and Mrs Benson

**First off I just wanted to say something about the last chapter. I made a small mistake when I was writing and realized I had to change it. When Freddie ran out of the apartment to get his mom, I realized it would obviously be much faster to take the elevator than run down eight flights of steps (-smacks self in the head-). So yeah, stupid me didn't think of that until recently. I rewrote that part of the story so he took the elevator. If you go back and re-read that last part, the beginning of this chapter will make more sense! Sorry about the mistake guys! xD I try my best to avoid them but I'm only human. :P**

**

* * *

**The elevator let out a small ding as it landed on the lobby floor. Lewbert looked up as he saw the door start to open. He watched in anger as Freddie came running out of it.

"HEY! NO RUNNING IN..."

"YARRGGGARARRAGAGGAG!" Freddie just held up his hands and waved them crazily at Lewbert, screaming as he ran to the main door, showing that he didn't care to play games right now. The doorman watched curiously as the boy ran out of the building.

"Hmph. No need to be rude." Lewbert replied in his raspy voice as he crossed his arms, insulted.

* * *

Once Freddie was outside he stopped for a second.

"Alright, the store my mom goes to is this way." He pointed to the left and started to run off in that direction._ 'I don't know when she left the apartment, so she could be on her way back now..' _Freddie mentally noted to himself as he ran down the sidewalk. _'That means I have to keep my eye out for her.' _He thought as he looked at the various people walking down the streets. He ran past an old lady on a motor scooter who, unfortunately for him, had a cane sticking out which caused him to trip and fall.

"YAH!" Freddie cried out as he hit the ground and rolled once before coming to a halt. He got to his knees and looked back at what tripped him up.

"You crazy young people! Always in a hurry to go somewhere! Why I ought to bend you over my knee and give ya a spanking!" The lady on the motor scooter started to turn around and drive towards him. She held up her cane as a weapon.

"You're the one who had your cane sticking out!" He stated in defense as he got to his feet, then paused for a moment. "And why the heck do you even need a cane? You're on a motor scooter!" Freddie yelled out to her.

"Oh, we got us a back talker huh?" The lady swung her cane around as if it were a lasso.

"BAH! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS." Freddie yelled back and resumed running down the sidewalk.

"That's right sonny boy..." The lady's voice got lower as Freddie ran further away. "...you better run!"

"Man..." Freddie grumbled out loud as he ran down the street and towards a Sunshine Girl stand. One of the little girls perked up as she saw him coming down the sidewalk.

"Hello mister, would you like to buy some fudge....?" The girl got cut off as he ran by without giving her so much as a glance. "MOM! WE GOT A RUNNER!" The little girl yelled to a woman who was stacking Fudge Ball boxes on the side of the stand.

"Is that so?" The woman looked up and saw Freddie. "No one ignores my daughter!" She took one of the Fudge Ball boxes and hurled it in the air.

"OW!" Freddie cried as the box made contact with the back of his head and he went down for a second time. Sitting up, he looked around dazed for a moment and saw the box of chocolate laying on the ground. He picked it up and looked behind him to see a bunch of little girls in yellow uniforms laughing at him. He then looked back at the box in his hand. "That lady threw this at me..." He muttered in disbelief. After tossing it to the ground, he got up and once more turned around and started to run.

"Hey! You better pay for that!" The crazy mother yelled out.

_'Why do these things happen to me?' _He thought as he saw the corner of the sidewalk in sight. _'Well at least I'm getting closer to the store..' _He thought happily until something caught his eye. _'Hey wait, is that my mom?' _Freddie looked over and saw someone carrying a ton of groceries that covered their face. The thing he noticed was that she was wearing a long red and orange dress that he recognized as one of his mother's.

"Mom!" Freddie called out as he ran towards her. He stopped and let our a few breaths. "I need your help!"

"What's the matter honey?" The person's voice held a deep tone as they lowered their groceries to reveal that they were of a male gender.

"Oh my gosh!" Freddie jumped back. " A man lady!" He yelled out in surprise and took off at lightning speed. The guy in the dress just shrugged and continued on his way.

* * *

"Could this day get any worse?" Freddie yelled out in frustration as he finally made his way to the end of the sidewalk. Almost as if to answer his question, he ran straight into another person as he rounded the corner.

"Ooof!" Freddie went down hard, knocking down whoever he collided with, also. "Oh man, listen I'm sorry but I'm in a hurry and..." Freddie looked over to see that the man he crashed into was dressed in a tuxedo and was none other than.... "Spencer!" Freddie exclaimed happily as he jumped to his feet and helped him up.

"Did you catch the number of that truck?" Spencer moaned as he was picked up. Shaking off his initial shock, he finally saw who knocked him down. "Freddie!"

"Man am I glad to see you!"

"What are you doing out here? I thought you were at our apartment and..." Spencer was cut off.

"Look, Sam's in bad shape. I need to find my mom. She went shopping and I think I can find her."

"How bad of shape?" Spencer asked worriedly.

"She passed out not too long ago with a fever. Carly's with her right now." Freddie explained.

"Oh man..." Spencer remarked, understanding the seriousness of the situation. "Alright, you get your mom while I go to the apartment." He instructed as Freddie nodded. The two then parted ways and ran in opposite directions.

* * *

Spencer had ran all the way to the Bushwell Plaza building and made his way up the steps. As he got to the main door he bolted in, not realizing Lewbert was currently mopping the floors. In his haste, Spencer accidentally knocked down the doorman.

"RAAAARG! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?" Lewbert yelled as he fell down onto the ground.

"Sorry!" Spencer quickly apologized as he ran to the elevator and pressed in a number code that allowed his access to use it. The door slid open and Spencer stepped in and quickly pressed the button for his floor a few times.

"WELL....HELP ME UP!" Lewbert screamed, but the elevator door had already started to close. As soon as it shut, Lewbert growled. "I HATE MY JOB!"

* * *

Meanwhile, during all of this chaos, Carly was still sitting alongside Sam in her apartment, not saying a word. It was quiet except for the low hum of the TV which the kids had forgotten to shut off during their panic. Carly looked over at it and watched as the credits of Airplane! started to scroll up the screen. She reached over for the remote, shut it off, and looked back over at her friend. By now, Sam had started to breath heavily as if she finished running a marathon, but Carly knew that wasn't the case. The combination of heat and sickness had caused her friend's body to become thoroughly exhausted.

_'How could things get this bad?'_ Carly asked and squeezed Sam's hand lightly. As she sat there contemplating how a simple stomachache could turn into so much worse, the elevator let out a small ding. Carly jumped up and turned towards the sound. Her body filled with relief as she saw it open to reveal her brother in a disheveled tuxedo.

"Spencer!" Carly called out as she jumped up from her seat.

"I'm here kiddo." Spencer ran over to her and gave her a small hug of comfort. After they let go, he turned around and his eyed widened as he saw Sam laying on the couch. He walked over to her and bent down, putting the back of his hand lightly against her cheek. "She's burning up." He turned towards Carly with a look of worry.

"I know! What do we do?" Carly asked.

"First off, tell me everything that happened." Spencer stated firmly as he stood up and faced his sister. "When I left, she was completely fine." He looked back down at her, shocked to see her condition had changed so drastically.

"Well, she wasn't _completely_ fine when you left." Carly started off. "She came here with a stomachache."

"What?" Spencer wasn't aware of that.

"She said it was from too much beef jerky. She ate like a pound of it last night so she told me it was no big deal. Anyways, I took her word for it and didn't think it was a huge problem. Just Sam being you know..." Carly started to stutter as she felt tears forming. "....Sam."

"Alright, calm down Carly." Spencer said softly, putting his hands on her shoulders as he realized his sister was on the verge of breaking down. "Then what happened?"

"Well, I remember poking her in her side as a joke, but she cried out in pain. That was the first sign that anything was wrong. After Freddie came over, Sam sort of well...attacked him. When she was on top of him, I had to pull her off and I accidentally grabbed around her stomach. She cried out once more, but this time the pain was obviously worse. She was in tears.." Carly looked over at her friend on the couch.

_'This doesn't sound good...'_ Spencer held a fist to his chin as he thought for a moment. "Anything else?"

"Yeah." Carly took a deep breath. "I think during the middle of the movie she had to go throw up, but she didn't tell us. She lied and said she had to use the bathroom. When she came back, Freddie and I noticed she was tired, but after a little bit, she seemed to be getting better. She even went and got some ice cream to eat."

"She had an appetite?" Spencer asked.

"Well yes, but afterward, she got really dizzy. That's when things started to get really bad. She stopped hiding the fact that she wasn't feeling well and accepted our help, and you know Sam never accepts help." Carly emphasized the seriousness of how her friend felt at that point. "By now, she was puking violently again. That's when I called you." She took a deep breath. "And finally, she just passed out.." Carly ended her story sadly. Spencer gave a nod of understanding and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Look, I want you to get some ice and try and cool her down alright? Put it by her legs, wrists, and neck." Spencer now assumed his adult role. Carly nodded as she walked over to the fridge. As Spencer watched her walk away, he pulled out his cellphone and walked out of Carly's hearing distance. He dialed a few numbers and put the phone to his ear.

"911 emergency service?" A woman's voice answered.

"Yes, I need an ambulance. My little sister's friend is extremely sick. I'm not sure what it is, but there's a possibility it could be an internal problem like an injury or poisoning of some sort." Spencer explained to the operator. He was by no means a doctor, but could tell when something was definitely wrong and needed the proper action.

"Alright, can you give us a location?" The woman asked.

As Spencer continued on with his phone call, Carly brought a bucket of ice and some sandwich bags over to the kitchen counter. She filled up the baggies and zipped them shut. As soon as she had enough, she grabbed them all in one big armful. She walked over to the living room and set the ice bags down on the small table in front of the couch. Just as her brother stated, Carly placed them by Sam's wrists, legs, and neck. As she was doing this, the phone started to ring. She decided to ignore it since she had more important things to do. The answering machine finally clicked on.

_**'You've reached Spencer and Carly Shay's apartment.' **_**Their two voices spoke together.**

_**'If you're looking for Spencer, press one.' **_**Spencer's voice spoke. **_**'If you're looking for Carly, press two. If you're looking for..' **_

_**'Spencer! Stop that!'**_** Carly's voice was heard on the machine as the recording clicked off. **

Carly had finished setting the ice up when she heard who was calling.

_**"Carly! It's me, Freddie! I've got my mom with me! We're in the lobby now! Can you send the elevator for us?"**_ Freddie voice spoke on the machine. Carly looked up and ran towards the phone and grabbed it.

"Sure! Spencer's here too!" Carly answered as she walked over to her elevator and pressed the button to send it down.

"Yeah, I know." He replied.

"You do?"

"I crashed into him when I was looking for my mom. I'll see ya in a bit!"

"Ok!" Freddie and Carly both hung up their phones. "Thank goodness.." Carly murmured to herself as she walked back into the living room. Spencer had finished his phone call by now and was sitting next to Sam in the chair Carly had been in before.

"Hey, who were you talking to?" He asked.

"Freddie. He's coming up in the elevator with his mom." Carly answered as she walked over to him. Just then the elevator dinged and opened up to reveal Freddie and his mom. Both Carly and Spencer got up and walked over to them.

"Fredward told me what happened!" Mrs. Benson exclaimed as she looked at Spencer. "Where is she?"

"Over here." Spencer led her to the couch. While the two adults looked Sam over in the living room, Carly and Freddie stood by the elevator.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier. I would of made better timing if...." Freddie was cut off as Carly grabbed him into a hug.

"Freddie...thank you." Carly buried her head into his shoulder. He paused for a moment before bringing up his arms and returning the embrace with just as much emotion. They shared a silent understanding of appreciation for each other's help in this situation.

"Carly!" The two kids broke off their hug as Mrs. Benson waved them over.

"Yes?" Carly walked over to her. She was currently sitting in the chair and holding Sam's wrist, feeling her pulse. She lightly set the girl's arm down and stood up.

"You said that she had a stomachache?" Carly nodded as Freddie's mother continued. "Show me where." Mrs. Benson backed up as she let Carly walk over.

"Um, right about here." Carly leaned down and pointed a finger to the middle of Sam's abdomen.

"Mmhmm..." Mrs. Benson mumbled as she contemplated.

"And, I think Sam had some pain over here too." Carly reached over and pointed towards the right side of Sam's abdomen. "I remember seeing her hold it as she walked to the kitchen."

"Thank you Carly." Mrs. Benson replied. "I think I know what may be the problem." Everyone looked at her, waiting for the news. "It could be that she has appendicitis. Between the nausea, fever, and stomach pains, I would say it's very possible."

"Appendicitis?" Carly asked in disbelief.

"Doesn't that require surgery?!" Freddie remarked.

"Yes, it does. But the only way to tell for certain if that's what she has would be for a doctor to take a look at it. We need to get her to a hospital." Mrs. Benson stated softly. Spencer stepped forward.

"I already called. An ambulance is on the way right now." He explained.

"Very good." Mrs. Benson replied as she looked back down at Sam.

Meanwhile, Freddie and Carly just stood there frozen. They both felt paralyzed. An ambulance was coming to take their friend to the hospital and they were helpless to do anything.

* * *

**I tried to add some humor in this during Freddie's plight in the beginning! I hope you guys enjoyed it because it's getting harder to write funny stuff in! xP **

**And I was also considering making Mrs. Benson freak out and act crazy, but I try my best to write the characters as I think they would react in situations, and in this one I thought she would be level headed instead of psycho crazy as it was a more dramatic situation.**


	7. Emotional Times

_'Uhhh....what's going on?'_ Everything was pitch black for Sam. _'I hear....voices?' _Little snippets of conversation could be heard echoing throughout the inky darkness.

_**'Burning up....'**_

_**'What do we do...'**_

_**'Where is she.....'**_

_**'Pain over here....'**_

_**'Pain.'**_

_'Who's talking? Where am I? What....?' _Sam couldn't attach an identity to the voices and struggled to find out who was saying those words. It was a mixture between male and female voices. _'Who's there?!' _She started to feel fear rise up all around her. _'I can't...' _The darkness began to close on her. _'I can't breathe!' _Just as she felt like her lungs were about to pop due to the overwhelming sensation of stress and panic, she saw a light in the distance. It started to get bigger as if she was walking towards it, but she knew that wasn't the case as she felt no movement in her legs. In fact, Sam didn't feel anything. She only saw that light, and strained herself to get there....

* * *

"Unh..." Sam moaned quietly on the couch as her eyes opened slightly. A blinding light had caused her to close them quickly, as it burned. After she shook off the first shock, she once again cracked an eye open and saw colors and shapes, but everything was too blurry to recognize. As she blinked a few more times, the shapes became more defined. Sam realized she was staring up at a ceiling, and tilted her head to get a view of where she was. Instantly she recognized the familiar apartment.

_'I'm at Carly's...?'_ Sam thought out carefully. _'But, what happened..?' _Her memory was starting to come back, but it was taking her time to fully connect the pieces. She glanced over and saw the TV. _'A movie...weren't we watching a movie? And Freddie...'_ Sam shut her eyes once more as she tried to remember. _'Yeah, he was there too.' _She sighed. _'Then why do I feel like this? Where are Carly and Freddie?' _She thought sadly as she felt the urge to go back to sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, Spencer and Mrs. Benson decided to discuss something over in the corner of the apartment by the stairs. It was obvious they didn't want the children to hear as they separated themselves from them. Carly and Freddie understood this and accepted their wish to be able talk over the situation without their input. Besides, the kids had their own thoughts they wanted to talk about.

Carly looked into Freddie's brown eyes as they stood by the elevator door. "How could we let this happen?" She watched as he looked down, deep in thought. A sign of regret showed upon his face.

"We......just didn't know." He spoke slowly.

"But we knew there was something wrong with her...." Carly started to choke back sobs. "Freddie! We should of helped her!" He watched as a tear slid down her cheek. Seeing a strong girl like Carly start to breakdown emotionally was too much for him. Holding back his own tears, Freddie forced himself to be strong and pulled her into a hug.

"We made a mistake, alright? But Sam's going to get help now. Everything will work out." He rested his chin on top of her head as he held her. Carly took a few short breaths as she rested against her friend.

"You're right." She replied finally, feeling gratitude that she had Freddie there to lean on. "Let's go sit and wait with Sam." Carly turned around and looked at the couch.

"Sure." Freddie replied softly and the two walked over to their friend.

* * *

During this, Mrs. Benson and Spencer continued with their conversation.

"Now, Appendicitis you say?" Spencer looked over at Mrs. Benson as she nodded her head.

"Yes, that's what my guess would be. All the symptoms are pointing to such."

"What exactly are the consequences to this?" Spencer dreaded asking this question.

"Well, an appendectomy, the act of surgically removing the appendix, is a common operation. Many people suffer from appendicitis throughout the year and the survival rate for the surgery is very high." Mrs. Benson explained. Spencer gulped as he felt a lump form in his throat. He had no idea he would be talking about survival rates for one of his friends.

"What could...." He trailed off for a moment before continuing. "....what could affect a person's survival rate?" His mouth went dry.

"The thing about appendicitis is that the appendix fills up with many dangerous toxins such as pus and infectious organisms harmful to the body. If it gets to the point of bursting, anything that was in the appendix is released into a person's system. Their blood could be poisoned." Mrs. Benson paused. She tried to keep her composure as a nurse, but it was hard talking about one of her son's friends this way. She let out a deep breath and continued. "That is why it's crucial to get a person to the hospital right away if pain is detected."

"Is it possible that Sam's appendix....burst?" Spencer hoped the answer would be no. Mrs. Benson looked down sadly.

"Yes, it _is_ possible. Going by the children's description of what happened, she should of been brought to the hospital earlier."

"Damn.." Spencer spoke out loud. He never used curse words, but he was just so angry with himself. "Why'd I have to go on that stupid date?" He grabbed at his hair. "Maybe if I was here, the kids..." Mrs. Benson put a hand on her shoulder.

"Please Spencer." She tried to calm him down. "These things happen. Plus, there's also a chance it hadn't burst yet if appendicitis is the case. Let's just focus on what we have to do right now to ensure the best help for Samantha, ok?" She watched as he looked up at her.

"Alright."

* * *

Meanwhile, Carly and Freddie were now by Sam's side. She had taken a seat in the chair, while he sat on the small table. Carly once again held her best friend's hand while Freddie placed his own on top of Sam's knee in a comforting gesture. The two sat there in silence as they let the adults talk.

_'I feel something...' _Sam thought. She had been drifting to sleep when something brought her back to reality as she felt it pick up her hand. It was light and gentle, and the only sense of touch she had at the moment. That was, until she felt something else touch her knee. _'What is...?'_ Sam opened her eyes slowly and looked up. She couldn't describe the amount of happiness she felt at that point when she saw her best friend sitting next to her and lightly holding her hand. Sam noticed her friend's eyes were closed, most likely thinking about something. _'Carly..'_ She then looked over towards her knee and saw her other best friend was also sitting by her side. He was obviously deep in thought too as he stared into space. _'Freddie..' _A warmth had started to spread throughout her body. No, it wasn't like the feverish hell that she had been experiencing. It was more of a comforting warmth. One that a person really couldn't describe just....feel.

Sam opened her mouth to attempt to say something, but as soon as she felt words start to come out, a pain shot up her abdomen. "URK!" Her body jolted in a hurtful spasm and she clamped down hard on Carly's hand.

"Huh?!" Carly opened her eyes as she felt her best friend's limp hand come to life. Freddie snapped his eyesight back to her. "Sam?!" Carly asked incredulously. She watched as her sick friend opened her eyes.

"Hey guys, w-what's up?" Sam smiled up at them.

* * *

**Really small chapter, I know! But I thought this was a nice little one to explain everyone's emotions and stuff at this point. I'll be working on the next one soon!**

**Also for some reason I'm having trouble loading my inbox and replying to reviews on the site, so sorry if I can't get back to you guys right away! I love talking to you, but my computer isn't allowing it for now! x_x**


	8. Reaction

**Oh my gosh! I can't believe this story made over 100 reviews! That makes me incredibly happy! Thank you so much! I just had to reward you guys with another chapter! =D**

* * *

"Hey guys, w-what's up?" Sam smiled up at them.

"Sam! I can't believe you're awake!" Carly stated in amazement.

"Why?" Sam gave her a puzzled look as she started to sit up. "And why am I covered in ice?" She questioned as a few bags slid off of her. The cool sensation felt amazing on her skin, but she was still curious as to how they got there.

"You have a fever and needed to be cooled off. Now take it easy." Freddie gently put his hand against her shoulder to push her back down. At first Sam was irritated by this action, but once she looked into his eyes and then back at Carly's, she noticed they were extremely worried.

"Don't looked so freaked guys. I'm ok." Carly and Freddie exchanged an odd look at each other from her statement.

"No, you're not. Don't you remember what happened?" Carly asked as she watch Sam think for a moment.

"We had a movie night....and I kind of ruined it, didn't I?" She replied guiltily. Sam once again made another attempt to sit up, and Carly realized she wouldn't give in to laying down so she held out her hand for her to use for balance. Sam grimaced as she was helped up.

"Who cares about the movie at this point?!" Freddie exclaimed as his mother and Spencer ran over.

"She woke up?!" Spencer asked as he saw Sam was sitting up and talking.

"Yeah!" Freddie responded.

"Spencer? What are you doing here?" Sam was shocked to see him. Last she could remember, he had left for a date some time ago. She then saw Mrs. Benson come over to her.

"Honey, how are you feeling?" The woman asked. Sam just sat there and cocked an eyebrow at her, surprised to see she was there too.

"I feel...." Sam thought of the word miserable to describe it. Not only physically but mentally. Here her two best friends were, sick with worry, and she caused it all because of her stubbornness. "I feel bad." She finally stated. "_Real_ bad..." Sam moaned as she grabbed around her stomach.

"Yeah, but it's alright now. We're going to help you through this." Carly offered a small smile of comfort.

"So just relax." Freddie added.

"Alright." Sam responded hesitantly. She was starting to recall the events that led up to her being on the couch. The stomachache, the nausea, and eventually the vomiting. The thing that was troubling her the most though was that she couldn't seem to remember anything about Spencer and Mrs. Benson. "Man..." Sam groaned. "That was some jank beef jerky I ate. I don't even remember when you guys arrived." She pointed to the two adults.

"We came in when you were unconscious." Spencer softly stated.

"Unconscious?" Sam went wide eyed. Apparently she hadn't realized she was out of it. _'That's probably why they were all surprised I was awake..'_ Sam mentally noted, putting two and two together.

"Yeah, after you got sick the second time, Carly and I brought you over to the couch where you passed out." Freddie explained.

"Seriously?!" Sam was in shock. "I am never buying beef jerky from "Ben's Eat It And Beat It" again!" She exclaimed in a huff, angry that her favorite meat product could let her down so badly.

"Well we're not sure if it was the beef jerky." Carly responded gently.

"Huh?" Sam thought for a moment before considering what else it could be. "Then you better check the expiration date on that ice cream. Maybe we can sue.." She laughed but then grabbed her stomach as the pain once again returned.

"I don't think you understand." Carly replied.

"Yeah, my mom thinks it may not be food related." Freddie explained.

"You're saying I have something wrong with my stomach and it's not food related?" Sam questioned her friends. They nodded slowly. "Cool! I knew food wouldn't let me down." Sam said happily. Even though she was trying her best to crack jokes and witty remarks, she felt increasingly worse as each minute ticked. Sam wanted to keep the situation humorous to avoid further worry from her friends, but even she was quite nervous about what was wrong with her. If it wasn't some sort of food poisoning, then what the heck could it be?

"Listen, I think you may have appendicitis." Mrs. Benson started off.

"A-whose-it-whats-it?" Sam looked over at her.

"A condition characterized by the inflammation of the appendix." She described.

"Uh, I should warn you, I slept through biology and health." Sam told her flatly. Freddie realized this would have to be explained in 'Sam Terms' for her to understand, which his mom clearly didn't realize.

"Let me explain." Freddie leaned over and pointed towards Sam's abdomen. "You've could have something in there that's infected, making you feel suckish."

"Oh." She replied, fully understanding Freddie's simple explanation. "So then what? I gotta take antibiotics or something?" Sam asked as she looked at everyone. She quickly deduced that wasn't the solution by the expression on their faces.

"No..." Carly started off, knowing this wouldn't be pleasant news. "....it has to come out."

"Come out?" Sam repeated Carly's words slowly before realizing what she meant. "EXCUSE ME?!" Sam yelled. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN _**COME OUT**_?"

"Well, surgery would have to be performed and.." Freddie was cut off.

"SURGERY?!" Sam was starting to freak.

"Please calm down, you'll hurt yourself..." Mrs. Benson stated, watching the girl start to fly off the handle. "It's a simple procedure and..."

"A PROCEDURE? A PROCEDURE ISN'T SIMPLE! IT'S WELL.....IT'S A PROCEDURE!" Sam started to breath heavily.

"Look, it may not even be appendicitis!" Carly spoke to her friend, hoping it would make her feel at ease and stop her panic.

"How will the doctors know if it is one or isn't?! What are they gonna do?! Test me for pain?!" Sam pushed two fingers into her abdomen. "Look! Pain! I'm certified to become a doctor!" She yelled out hysterically throwing her hands up.

"Sam, they might have to check inside you to see what's what, but if there's no infection, they'll close it right back up. No harm done." Spencer tried to show her it was not a big deal. Unfortunately it backfired.

"Close WHAT up?! My skin?!" Sam felt more nauseous than ever by now. This news was definitely bad. "NO WAY I'm going to any doctor so he can cut me up like some piece of...of...beef jerky!" Just as she was about to complain some more, the elevator let out it's familiar ding, signaling someone's arrival. Everyone turned around to see the door open and reveal two medics with a gurney. At that point, Sam felt her heart skip a beat. "WHAT'S THAT?!" She pointed to the two men rolling the contraption out of the elevator.

"We called for an ambulance. They're going to take you to the hospital." Spencer stated slowly. He felt sympathy for her fear, but knew this had to be done. Once he said the word hospital, Carly glanced at her best friend, waiting for a reaction. Instead of a loudmouth response, Sam just sat there frozen, staring at the gurney.

"It's for the best..." Carly started to say. Her best friend just sat still, unmoving and pale. The only bit of movement was from Sam's eyes. They darted quickly over to the left, and then back over at the gurney. _'Huh?'_ Carly thought as she noticed this small action. She had seen that look on her friend's face before and it usually happened right before the police called out her name and began a chase. That meant she was going to....

_'No way!'_ Carly quickly dismissed the idea. _'Not in her condition. She's too wea...'_ Her thoughts were cut off as Sam jumped up from her position on the couch, leaped over the armrest as if it were a hurdle, and bolted for the door. "SAM!" Carly was the first one to react with lightning speed as she chased her best friend across the living room. Just as Sam started to pull the door open, Carly ran behind her and slammed it shut.

"NO!" Sam cried out and turned around to face her friend who had just blocked her only chance to escape. By now, Freddie, Spencer, and Mrs. Benson had realized what happened and quickly got to their feet.

"You need to go to the hospital!" Carly grabbed Sam by her wrists.

"No!" She fought against her best friend's grip. Carly was surprised to see that she had enough strength to be able to fight back. It was obvious she was on some sort of adrenaline rush, and Carly had to stop her before she injured herself further.

"SAM, STOP!" Carly frantically pleaded.

"I've seen the stories! I know what the doctors do! They loose things in patients! Scissors, scalpels, glasses! I WON'T GO!" Sam angrily screamed as Carly kept her hold on the hysterical girl.

"I'm not going to let you run out of here!" Carly yelled as she continued to fight against her. Sam was too busy trying to loosen Carly's hold on her that she hadn't realized her friend had started crying. "I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU HURT YOURSELF!"

* * *

**Writing dialogue between five people is hard! o.x Also I apologize about this chapter being short too, but I figure it can be excused since I updated twice today! xP Anyways, do you think any of this got through to Sam? We'll find out in the next chapter...**


	9. Setting Up A Plan

"I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU HURT YOURSELF!" Carly screamed out at the last moment. This made the blond girl stop struggling as she looked up at her best friend's face. She could tell that Carly was obviously torn as tears were coming out of her eyes. Sam just stood there in shock, feeling as if she was smacked in the face. Even though Carly didn't hit her, she might as well have. In fact, Sam would have preferred it instead of seeing her friend like this.

"C-Carly?" Sam stuttered, her eyes widening. The brunette girl realized she had managed to get her friend's attention and knew she had to persuade her to listen.

"Sam, please!" Carly pleaded with the girl, keeping a firm grasp on her wrists. "Just..go to the hospital. You're sick and burning up with an insane fever that came out of nowhere! We don't know what's going on! God forbid you have something wrong with you that could...." Her voice trailed off, as she didn't want to finish her train of thought.

"Could what...?" Sam asked quietly.

"C-could...I d-don't know.." Carly stuttered, reluctant to finish. "...kill you."

Sam's eyes just widened as her eyes dropped to the floor in shock. The thought of death never really occurred to her. Pain she could deal with, but....a possibility of dying? Sam was at a loss for words as she felt her mouth go dry. She looked up at Carly and watched as the girl's tears trailed down her cheeks. That made Sam's blood run cold.

Meanwhile, Carly, still gripping Sam's wrists, stared back. She herself hadn't even realized what she was thinking until after the fact. Her fear had been bottled up in a powder keg all this time and when she saw her best friend start to run away, something had finally exploded within the girl. "Sam I...." Carly stopped for a moment as she was surprised to feel the temperature in Sam's arms turn to ice. "Y-yes Sam, what if this is more serious than we thought? You might die.." The brunette girl found the courage to say it again.

"From surgery...?" She started, and Carly knew where she was going.

"No! WITHOUT surgery." Carly remarked. Even in a moment such as this, her best friend was just so dang stubborn. "If you don't go to the hospital, how can we know for sure that you'll be ok? What if you do need the surgery? Do you want to wait until things might be too late?!"

"But..." Sam studied Carly's face and could tell she was genuine with every word and emotion. She then looked behind her and saw that the others had stopped in their tracks and were now staring at the two girls. They had run up to help restrain Sam, but once they saw Carly's words got to her, they backed off. Sam looked over from Mrs. Benson, to Spencer, and finally to Freddie. They all held such worried and scared looks. _'I did this to the people who are trying to help me. And I ran away from them.' _Sam thought in her head, angry with herself. She couldn't believe how childish and selfish she was acting. Looking back over at Carly, she took a big gulp. "F-fine, I'll go. Just.....don't cry." Sam was torn that she pushed her best friend to such an emotional level.

"No promises." Carly said softly as she let go of Sam's arms and gave her a small hug. Freddie walked over to the two and put a hand on Sam's shoulder as they broke it off.

"We'll be with you every step of the way." He said kindly as the two girls turned back towards the gurney.

"...not in the operating room if it comes to that." Sam muttered.

"Hey, don't doubt Spencer's skills. He can get us anywhere." Freddie joked as Spencer stepped forward.

"It's true!" He gave Sam a comforting smile as he winked. "I've got connections."

"You guys are morons." Sam let out a small laugh as she rolled her eyes. She then gripped her stomach as she felt the pain return. Her adrenaline rush had worn off by some time now, and Sam was feeling the result of her actions. "Uhh...." She hunched over.

"Let's get her set." One of the paramedics rolled the gurney over to the kids. They have been waiting patiently for Sam and were relieved they didn't have to use sedatives....or chase her down for that matter. The two men walked over to her as Carly and Freddie backed off so they could do their job. They watched as they helped lift Sam onto the mobile bed.

"Hey, watch your hands..." Sam stated to one of the paramedics. Even though she had lost the battle outside, it still raged inside her mind. She was downright terrified of the hospital and figured the only way to keep her thoughts off of it was to make a few snarky remarks.

"Sorry!" The guy apologized, not sure what she was referring to, and continued to strap her in.

Meanwhile, Carly had turned around to talk to Spencer.

"Is there any way I can ride with her in the ambulance? I want to keep her calm." Carly asked, realizing it was quite possible Sam could have a relapse of either fear, or just plain anger at the fact of people poking and prodding her.

"I see no problem with that." He thought as he looked over to the paramedics. "Yo! Think my little sis can ride with her to the hospital?"

"Yeah sure." One of the guys responded.

_'Thank goodness..' _Sam thought as relief filled her. She felt the gurney jerk a bit as the men started to wheel it towards the door.

"Look! We'll meet you downstairs ok?" Spencer called out. "The elevator is too small for all of us to fit."

"Ok." Sam nodded as the elevator door started to close down on her. As soon as it shut, Spencer turned around.

"Let's get downstairs." All four of them hurried out of the apartment.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the elevator, the three sat there in silence awkwardly. One of the men let out a rough cough. Sam looked at him oddly.

"Uh, I'm guessing this would be a bad time to ask you for an autograph?" He looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"Huh?" Sam was quite confused.

"My son loves your web show." He smiled. "We're big iCarly fans."

"Yeah? No chizz?" Sam perked up. She then thought for a moment. "Tell you what. After the doctors figure out what's wrong with me, you can come visit with your son. I'll sign ya a piece of paper or a bandage or something."

"Cool!" The guy answered. Sam laid her head back back down on the pillow.

_'An iCarly fan..who knew?' _She thought as she looked up at the ceiling light on the elevator. That little bit of news seemed to be calming.

* * *

The elevator dinged as it landed on the lobby floor. Before the door even fully opened, Spencer, Mrs. Benson, and the kids came shuffling down the stairs. Sam was happy to see them as she was wheeled out.

"Whichever one of you is riding in the ambulance, come with us." One of the paramedics stated. Carly walked over to the gurney and smiled as she took Sam's hand.

"And don't worry about us!" Freddie called out. "Spencer's going to drive my mom and I to the hospital."

"Alright..." Sam started to say until her eyes widened in realization. One of Freddie's words stung her. _'Mom.' _The paramedics started to roll her to the main doors. "HEY WAIT STOP!" Sam yelled. The gurney came to a halt as the gang ran over to her, wondering what her outburst was about. "Guys! My mom! What about my mom?!" Sam cried out frantically.

"Uh, do you have any idea where she is?!" Carly asked.

"No clue!" Sam winced.

"She have a cellphone?" Freddie asked.

"No.." Sam answered. "The police can track those." Freddie looked at her oddly.

"Look, do you have a picture of her or something? I can round up some buddies to go and search for her." Spencer offered.

"I don't have a picture on me, and the only one my mom didn't light on fire is in my room." Everyone looked at her confused. "She was going through a phase!" Sam replied. "Anyways, the picture is in my secret Fat Cake box."

"Fat Cake box?" Freddie asked.

"What? Precious family photos and Fat Cakes can't live together happily?" Sam remarked.

"Um ok, I can go get it." Spencer replied.

"No, you don't know where it is." Sam stated. She then looked up at Carly. "Only Carls does..." Sam moaned shutting her eyes. It was getting too painful to talk.

"Guys, we really have to get going..." One of the paramedics told them.

"OK! NEW PLAN!" Spencer yelled out. "Carly! You come with me! We're going to Sam's house to get that photo." He then looked over at the Bensons. "Freddie, you ride with Sam!" The boy nodded. "And Mrs. Benson, can you take care of all the hospital stuff until I get back?" Spencer asked.

"Sure." She responded.

"Alright good!" Spencer replied. Sam closed her eyes as her heart filled with sadness when she started to be rolled away from them.

"Hey, don't worry." Sam looked up as she saw Freddie walking alongside her. "I'll be riding with you."

"Oh great." Sam mumbled and looked away, in fake disappointment.

"Well, if that's how you feel..." Freddie shrugged and pretended to walk away.

"Benson!" Sam reached out and grabbed his arm to pull him back. Freddie just turned around with a big smile on his face.

"You couldn't get rid of me if you tried."

* * *

**I know these chapters are a bit shorter than previous ones, but it's a little more relaxing to write them. And don't worry! For some reason, I'm still on this kick of inspiration, and can continue to update frequently! Enjoy! ^_^**

**(Also, based on a few inquiries in my reviews, no, this story does not have any shipping in it! It's just based on friendship. =D)**


	10. Angry Ambulance Ride

**For the longest time this chapter was chapter 12 repeated (No idea why!), and only fixed until recently thanks to Llamas1355 notifying me. So sorry if you read it messed up and out of order!**

* * *

Spencer, Mrs. Benson, and Carly watched as Sam was rolled out of the building.

"Mrs. Benson..." Spencer turned to the woman. "Do you have a way of getting to the hospital?"

"Yes, my car is in the parking area." She confirmed.

"Good. We'll meet you there ok?"

"Alright." She answered then turned around and walked towards the main door to get to her car. Spencer turned back to Carly.

"Let's get to Sam's house as quick as possible."

"Yeah definitely!" Carly agreed. She wanted to be with Sam, but knew it was a priority in notifying her mother what was happening. Even though Sam's mom was a bit of a nutcase and not really suitable to have children, she did care for her daughter....in her own special and sometimes illegal way.

"Lets go!" Spencer took Carly by her hand and ran out the building to get to his own car.

* * *

"1-2-3 HUP!" The paramedics spoke in unison as they pressed some sort of button which triggered the legs of the gurney to snap up and out of the way. Once the legs were folded, they slid the mobile bed into the back of the ambulance with help from a female assistant already inside the vehicle. Sam watched the daylight disappear as she was placed into the van. One of the men who had been carrying the gurney crawled in the back and started to latch the bed into place. Meanwhile, a lump got caught in Sam's throat as she noticed all the various technical equipment around her. Some of it looked very sharp, and some of it just seemed plain scary. Deciding to look away from what she considered were no different that medieval torture devices, Sam looked back at the ambulance door. It was her only source of daylight now. Even though she was pretty close to it, it felt so far away.

"Here you go." The other paramedic helped Freddie crawl through the back. There was a small seat next to the gurney where he sat down on Sam's right side. He looked down at her and smiled.

"Hey, just think of it as an amusement park ride ok?" He tried to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, one from Hell." Sam flatly stated. She started to hear a rolling sound and realized it was the other paramedic starting to close up the back door. "Hey wait!" Sam called out.

"What's the matter?" The male paramedic in the van looked over at her.

"Where's what's-his-face going?" Sam pointed to the door, noticing that the man who stated he was a fan of iCarly wasn't getting in the ambulance.

"He's the driver." The other man simply answered as he continued to strap down the gurney.

'_Oh man! My lifeline!_' Sam thought. She figured there was no way an iCarly fan could let her die. Unfortunately he wasn't the one who was going to be with her during the trip. _'There goes my safety net.'_ Sam thought, depressed as she watched the door shut close. It was one of the worst feelings she felt that day, minus the ache in her stomach. Once that small sliver of daylight disappeared from the door and she heard the latch click, Sam realized something._ 'There's no turning back now.'_

_

* * *

_Meanwhile, Spencer and Carly had gotten to their silver Volkswagen Beetle. He unlocked the car and sat in the driver's seat, pulling the seat belt over his shoulder. He then stuck his key in the ignition and looked over at Carly.

"Got your seat belt on?" He double checked.

"Yeah.." Her voice stated softly. Spencer then turned the key to start the engine.

"Look.."He pulled the car out of park. "Everything's going to be alright. Like Mrs. Benson said, it's a routine procedure."

"I know, it's just.....I don't know...." Carly sighed.

"Hey, it's a scary thing." Spencer started to drive out of the parking lot. "But we'll all get through this." He offered a small smile to his sister before looking back at the road.

"Thanks Spence." Carly replied. Her brother always made her feel better.

* * *

Meanwhile, the ambulance started to pull out of the Bushwell Plaza's front area. It jerked slightly as the driver gave it some gas.

"Oh my god.." Sam shut her eyes as she felt the movement of the vehicle. She knew that in just a little bit she would be at a hospital.

"It's going to be ok." Freddie lightly picked up Sam's hand, gaining her attention. "Try to stay calm..." He offered some advice.

"Fine....but I'm not promising anything." Sam pointed her finger at him. She then looked at the two medics talk with each other as they knelt down by her head.

"Hmm...seems we've got prolonged abdominal pain..." The man looked at a clipboard with a few notes jotted on it. "....dizziness, vomiting, high fever, and fainted once." He listed off the details they were given from Spencer's emergency phone call.

"Let's get a heart monitor hooked up." The female worker responded.

"Heart monitor?! Why?! What's wrong with my heart?! I'm not having a heart attack!" Sam frantically spoke._ 'Not yet at least...' _She thought as she felt a frantic pounding in her chest. The female worker looked back at her.

"All routine honey. It's to ensure safety." The woman patted Sam's arm in a comforting gesture than continued to work on setting up the equipment. Freddie watched as they started placing electrodes on certain points on Sam's body like at her wrists.

"FREDDIE, THEY'RE PUTTING WIRES ON ME! WHY ARE THEY PUTTING WIRES ON ME?!" Sam looked over at him, growing hysterical.

"Uh well because, you see...."

"Spit it out Benson! You do wiring all the time! You're the tech guy!" Sam yelled in response.

"Not this kind of wiring!" He replied.

"They're to monitor your vital signs." The female worker answered quickly, realizing the panic in her patient's voice and heart rate.

"Oh...ok then...." Sam replied, still not fully convinced. "Ugh man! This hurts!" She groaned.

"The wires?" Freddie asked.

"No, my stomach." Sam mumbled out, her eyes shut in pain. She opened her eyes though when she felt one of her arms being lifted and watched as the male worker slipped something around it. It looked and felt like a blood pressure tester as it started to inflate and put pressure on her arm.

"What is urk.." Sam's question was cut off as she found it was getting increasingly harder to talk due to the pain. She closed her eyes once more.

"Here I have the syringe set." The woman handed a needle of some sort to the male worker. Freddie noticed this and realized Sam hadn't seen it yet. As she opened her eyes, he knew he had to act fast.

"Uh hey Sam!" He quickly grabbed her attention.

"Unh what?" She tilted her head to him tiredly.

"When all of this is done, how about I treat you to the best meal ever? You pick the place. I'll supply the cash. Sound good?" Freddie offered as he watched the ambulance workers setting up the needle from the corner of his eye. Sam thought for a moment.

"Your treat?" She asked curiously, intrigued by his offer.

"Yup!" He answered as he watched them start feeling around for a certain spot on Sam's arm, obviously looking for a vein.

"Any limits on food?"

"Nope! None!" Freddie gave her a smile. He knew this would be hell on his wallet later, but he wanted to do something for her. Plus food was always a good diversion for Sam, especially when she was about to get needled.

"Well, Fredward....I accept." She smiled. "And you know what? There's this new place I've been wanting to go to." Freddie braced himself as he realized they were just about to inject her. "It's called...." Sam's statement was cut off as they inserted the needle. "ARG! WHAT THE HECK?!" She snapped her head over to her other side and realized what the medics had been doing. "WHY DID YOU PUT A NEEDLE IN MY ARM?!" Sam cried out pitifully.

"It's an intravenous." The worker explained patiently. "We're putting you on a Saline drip to ensure you're properly hydrated."

"You want me to be properly hydrated?! Then hand me a glass of stinkin water! Don't stick a needle up my arm!" Sam complained.

"Uh, I don't think it works that way..." Freddie responded, earning a glare from his friend. "Sorry!" He put his hands up.

"Man! What the heck are you medical people doing anyway?! The pain is in my stomach! Not my arm! And now both hurt!" Sam moaned, feeling a small ache in her arm. Just as she was about to yell out another complaint, she stopped for a moment, feeling her stomach spasm. The stress had finally gotten to her and she hit her breaking point. It was like something exploded. Something bad. Freddie watched as her eyes widened and she started to breath heavily.

"Sam...?" He wasn't sure if she was going into another panic mode.

"OH MY GOD! IT HURTS!" She started to thrash around. "MAKE IT STOP!" Freddie watched as his friend started to tear up.

"What's wrong with her?!" Freddie watched in horror as she cried out while hyperventilating.

"Pain getting more intense." The female worker stated quickly to her partner. He was currently watching the heart monitor.

"Respiration is strained. We need to clear her airway." He mumbled out as he reached over for a mask of some sort. "Get the oxygen ready."

"PLEASE!" Sam gasped trying to breathe. The man placed the mask over Sam's mouth and nose as the woman turned on the oxygen. By now, Freddie had grabbed hold of his friend's hand once more for support and she was squeezing the heck out of it, but he didn't care. At this point he would let her break his own fingers if it could relieve any of her pain, and with Sam's strength, that was quite possible.

"Airway is clearing up." The male medic looked at her vital signs as the oxygen continued to flow through the mask. "But I think it would be best to give her a low dose of morphine." He replied, looking back at the chart. "The combination of stress and panic along with her condition is causing her to suffer severe pain."

_'Severe pain?'_ Freddie gulped. He felt so helpless.

"Alright..." The female worker looked back at Sam. "We're going to give you some morphine for the abdominal pain. It's a painkiller." She decided to describe everything before doing it as she realized Sam had a tendency to freak out at the drop of a hat and didn't want to upset her further.

"JUST DO IT, DO WHATEVER! KILL THE PAIN!" Sam's muffled voice yelled behind the mask. The hurtful spasms were excruciating and she felt like she was going to pass out. In fact, she actually was starting to. Sam watched as everything got hazy. She saw the paramedics do something with her IV, but she was too woozy to see or even understand what was happening. Sam tilted her head to her other side and saw her friend looking at her worriedly.

"Freddie..." She croaked out as she saw everything behind him start to go blurry. She tried her best to focus on his face and keep his image clear, but realized he was getting blurry as well.

"Don't worry Sam.....The pain will go away soon." He patted her hand. He sounded so far away, but she knew in her heart that he was right next to her, especially when she felt his touch. Never in her life had she wanted so badly to stay with Freddie until now, and the one time she did, her body was blacking out.

"Freddie...don't go." She whispered as he started to go dark.

"I won't..." His voice answered quietly. "I'm right here." That was the last thing Sam heard.

* * *

**I had to go back like ninety chapters and re-proofread this one (because it was messed up on the site) and I have to say, it was really fun coming back to this scene! It's the setup for a great Seddie -friendship- ambulance scene in the next few chapters! One of my favorites from the whole story!**


	11. Photographed Memories

Spencer and Carly pulled up to Sam's driveway. He pushed down on the brakes as the car slid to a stop. Before he could even put it in park, Carly had unlocked her door and ran out. Spencer could see the urgency in her haste. He parked the car quickly, got out, and followed his sister. He stopped when he noticed she was standing by the porch.

"Hey, what are you doing?" He watched as Carly bent down by the steps and reached underneath them. She dug around for a bit and then pulled her hand back out, revealing a set of spare keys. "Oh, good idea!" Spencer replied. He had forgotten that they needed some sort of way of getting _into_ the house. "How'd you know they were there?"

"Sam told me a long time ago." Carly spoke as the two walked up the porch to the front door. "She said her mom told her never to tell anyone where they kept the spare." Carly inserted the key into the keyhole. "But once her mom gave a key to their house to some guy she only knew for a day and he robbed the place, Sam figured she could break that promise." She turned the key and the lock clicked open. The two of them walked in and Spencer shut the door behind him. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. It was a simple low middle class house that had seen better days. It was obvious that the Pucketts didn't have money for actual repairs as temporary ones could be seen throughout the structure, such as a pail on the floor which caught a mysterious drip from the ceiling. Sam herself was especially proud of using a seven inch nail to hang a picture back up, despite it jutting out of the wall about three inches. Carly mentally laughed as she saw the awkward looking picture hanging crooked. Even though her friend didn't have the best living conditions, she always kept a sense of humor and Carly admired her for that. That's why this whole thing had shaken her so much. She had just witnessed her friend at a really bad time in her life. When Sam got too sick to crack jokes and eventually requested help, Carly understood the severity of the situation, and it truly frightened her.

"Look, I'm going to go upstairs. I'll be back soon alright?" Carly told her brother as she made her way to the staircase.

"Ok, I'll just wait down here." Spencer watched as his little sister ascended the steps and disappeared out of sight. He then turned around and saw a hallway leading to the kitchen. "Hmmm...." He made his way over. "I wonder if...." Spencer walked up to the fridge and looked at the door. There were various notes scribbled on it, some of which he couldn't even read. He had to let out a small laugh as he saw that one of Sam's tests was clipped to the refrigerator with a magnet. It proudly displayed a big red A. Spencer saw that Sam herself wrote a message on it. It read: **"Better appreciate it mom. Only one for the year." **

Letting out a chuckle, Spencer's eyes continue to travel along the fridge door until he found something he was looking for. A bunch of phone numbers were listed. He squinted as he read the messy print. "Hmm...Sam's cell, Ridgeway School, Shay apartment..." Spencer mumbled as his finger trailed down the list. "AHA! Clinic!" He stated in triumph. Sam had told numerous stories of her mom going to a clinic for god knows what and he knew that would be a good lead to start a search for the woman. He looked around and noticed a pen on the counter. Snatching it up, Spencer pulled up the sleeve of his shirt and jotted down the number on his arm.

* * *

Meanwhile, Carly reached the top of the steps and was facing the door to Sam's room. She opened it quickly and scanned the area. It was horribly messy as various clothes and wrappers were tossed randomly along the floor. You could definitely feel the spirit of Sam Puckett in this room. As Carly made her way over to the closet, she noticed some movement from the corner of her eye, alerting her she wasn't alone. Carly jumped up with a small yelp and looked at what it was.

"Mrroow." A fat gray cat sat upon the bed, eyeing it's visitor curiously.

"Oh, Frothy. You scared me!" Carly spoke quietly to the feline. She then noticed the cat had something in it's mouth and quickly walked over to see what it was. Almost as if a sad reminder of the day's events, Carly found out it was a wrapper to a half empty package of beef jerky. She lightly pulled it from the cat's mouth.

"Mrrrrr.." Frothy grumbled in protest but didn't fight back, as it was too lazy to try.

"Sorry." She apologized to the perturbed cat. "But just incase it did make Sam sick..." She turned around and tossed the dried meat into an empty blue trashcan, which ironically was one of the cleanest things in the room. Carly then made her way back over to Sam's closet. She slid open the door and knelt down. There was a piece of carpet that Sam had strategically pulled up in the back. Underneath it, she had dug a small hideaway in her floor for various things she felt needed to be hidden. It was something she only entrusted with Carly as she knew her best friend was the one person in the world who wouldn't take advantage of her secrets. Once Carly pulled up the carpet, she opened the small trapdoor Sam had slid over the hole in the floor. A medium sized black box lay beneath it. Gingerly, Carly picked it up and pulled it out. There was a keypad on it which required a seven character password to open it up.

"Hmm, SPCSBFF." Carly spoke out loud as she pressed the buttons. The box opened with a click. Inside there were various items. Some of them Carly recognized, such as the packets of secret Fat Cakes, and the first ever iCarly T-Shirt. Apparently Sam had gone back to Rip-Off Rodney and threatened to beat the stuffing out of him if he didn't give her back the shirt. It obviously worked.

Carly pushed the shirt and Fat Cakes to the side of the box and found a bracelet she had given to Sam three years ago when they were in an art class together. Carly smiled as she picked it up. She remembered what her friend had made her in return as thanks for it. A big round clump of clay painted brown. It was Sam's signature--a meatball. Carly still had that clay sculpture on top of one of her shelves. It was one of the oddest gifts she had ever received...and one of her favorites. Carly sighed as she set the bracelet back down gently in the box. She then noticed a small red book and pulled it out.

"Journal.." Carly read the words printed out on front. She had never seen this before, and was surprised to see Sam had taken up writing in one. Carly set it to the side, respecting her friend's privacy. She looked back in the box and was happy to see that underneath the journal was a sandwich bag filled with photos. "Good!" Carly murmured as she picked up the bag and opened it. She carefully pulled the photos out. Each was covered by a hard protective plastic sleeve, signifying their importance. She started to thumb through them.

The first one was a picture of Carly and Sam when they were much younger, around the time they met. Spencer held each girl up with one arm and had a strained look on his face, jokingly as if he were holding up two elephants. Carly smiled as she flipped to the next one. This picture was also of Sam and her, and she remembered that it was taken during her 12th birthday party. The two girls stood side by side, smiling at the camera, wearing ridiculous birthday hats.

Carly flipped to the next one and realized this picture must of been taken right after the previous one because Sam now held a piece of blue birthday cake in her hand and was smushing it into Carly's face. Carly shook her head and laughed, then went to the next picture. This one showed the girls once again standing next to each other, smiling at the camera, but both of their faces were now completely covered in birthday cake. Carly smiled as she recalled what happened that day. When Spencer took the first picture, Sam was secretly hiding a piece of cake behind her back, and once he went in for another shot, she turned around and pushed the cake into her best friend's face. Spencer snapped the picture just at that moment. What he didn't get a picture of though was that Carly _also_ had a piece of cake hidden behind her back, wise to her friend's sneak attack plan, and smushed it right back into Sam's face afterward. That was why the two girls were both covered in cake in the last birthday photo. Carly sighed in fond remembrance as she flipped quickly to the next picture. What she saw surprised her.

It was a picture of Freddie. Just a simple picture of him sitting on Carly's couch while smiling and waving to the camera. That's all. Carly thought for a moment until she realized what the picture was from. She had taken that photo herself when she got a new digital camera last year and was testing it out. What confused her was how Sam got a hold of a copy. Either way Carly was happy to see a picture of Freddie made it into Sam's special box. The two wouldn't admit it, but Carly knew in her heart that they were great friends and cared for each other, despite their false act of hatred. She flipped to the next picture, and realized it was the photo she was looking for...

In this one, Sam's mother was sitting on a couch. Her arms were wrapped around a three year old Sam and the two were smiling towards the camera. Carly looked at the photo and flipped it over. On the back it read a small word, written in a young child's handwriting. **"Mommy." **Carly understood the importance of the picture and carefully placed it next to her on the floor, and continued to put everything back in the box as it was. She snapped it shut and placed it back into the hole, covering it up with the trapdoor and carpet. Carly then picked up the photo once more and stood up. She glanced over at Sam's digital clock and realized she had been there for roughly two minutes. She knew time was of importance and ran towards the door with the photo in hand.

* * *

During this time, Spencer had made his way back over to the front door and flipped out his cellphone. He pushed down the number three, initializing the speed dial for one of his friends. He held the phone to his ear as it started to ring. After ten seconds he heard the other end pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Socko, it's Spencer!"

"Spence? Hey buddy! How's it going?"

"Not good." Spencer replied.

"Huh? Whatsa matter? You run out of socks?" Socko asked. Spencer paused for a moment, caught off guard by the awkward question.

"Uh...no. Listen, Carly's best friend is sick."

"The blond girl?"

"Yeah. She's in the hospital and we have no clue where her mother is. We need your help to help us find her."

"Oh wow. Yeah, I'll help out." Socko answered, eager to help out a friend of a friend.

"Also, could you give your brother Taylor a ring? The more people, the better."

"No problemo." Socko responded.

"Thanks! Look, can you meet us at Schneider's Medical Complex? That's where Carly and I are headed right now." Spencer asked.

"Sure...............should I bring socks?"

"Um if it makes you feel better....then yes." Spencer replied.

"Aye aye chief." Socko hung up.

"Alright, good." Spencer shut his cell phone as he heard Carly's footsteps coming down the stairs.

"I got the photo!" She held it up in her hand.

"Great! Let's go." Spencer replied as they ran back out of the house.

* * *

**Just a small chapter to show how much history the two girls share. =) I decided to take a break from the more intense scenes! Sorry for leaving the last chapter on a cliffhanger and not following through with it in this one. I'm still trying to figure out how to write it exactly. The main idea is in my head. I just need to write it down and detail it. ^_^  
**

**So it looks like Socko and Taylor are going to be joining this story! Just incase you guys don't remember, Taylor is the guy who made Spencer's tuxedo. He's a tailor. xD Although I'm not sure if they stated he was Socko's brother or cousin. I couldn't find a clip of iMake Sam Girlier to check. If someone can clarify that for me it would be great! (And I'll switch it around in the story if I made a mistake!) EDIT-Thanks to Flying Kiwi, I now know Taylor is Socko's brother.  
**

**Also, I have a little fun fact for this chapter. The first picture Carly looks at (The one with Spencer holding Carly and Sam) can be found on iCarly. com. I described one of the pictures there for my story. =D It's in the iSnaps section under Carly and Sam: The Early Years.  
**

**And lastly, can you guys guess what Sam's secret password for her box means? "SPCSBFF" (First one to get it right gets a shoutout in the next chapter!)  
**


	12. Arrival At The Hospital

**It took a little while for me to figure out how to get this chapter written down, but I did it! Also, I want to give a thanks to Flying Kiwi for checking out iMake Sam Girlier for me! That was too kind of you to help me out when I couldn't check the episode myself! Thanks! =D Now onto the story! Beginning with the very anticipated ambulance scene from chapter ten...

* * *

**

Freddie looked down at Sam. Her head tilted lifelessly in sync with the movement of the ambulance as it continued to drive towards it's destination. He glanced at the paramedics and watched as they continued checking on her vital signs. The last thing he wanted to do was bother them, but felt the need to ask his question anyways.

"Is she..." Freddie gulped. "Is she going to be ok?" The female paramedic looked over at him and then down at the unconscious girl, deciding he deserved a quick explanation.

"She passed out because of the pain." She explained and watched as Freddie looked down at his friend in sadness. "But other than that, her vitals have stabilized. The painkiller we gave her through the IV will be working soon."

"Stabilized...so that means?" He looked up at her hopefully.

"She just needs to relax until we get to the hospital. With the morphine in her system, her body will be in a much calmer state."

"Oh, ok." Freddie replied. The female worker gave him a small comforting smile and then returned to her work. _'Leave it to drugs to be the only thing that can calm Sam down..'_ He thought lightheartedly as he looked down at his friend. One moment ago she was yelling angrily and now she was sleeping peacefully. The oxygen mask was still placed on her face, keeping her airway open and relaxed. Freddie sighed as he looked at her. Many times throughout his life he had wished that Sam was asleep, like when she was tackling him or beating him over the head with a drum stick, but he'd rather have her awake doing all that stuff than asleep in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.

"Mmm..." Almost as if Sam had heard Freddie's thoughts, she started to mumble.

"Huh?!" Freddie asked as he felt Sam's limp hand come to life in his own. He looked down and saw her eyes were moving underneath her eyelids.

"Patient is conscious." The male worker spoke to the female.

"And the morphine?" She asked, wanting to make sure the painkillers had made their way through Sam's system so she wouldn't wake up to incredible pain.

"Fully spread throughout her body." The male worker confirmed. "She should be feeling the effects of it now."

"Alright good." The woman looked back over at Sam. She was surprised to see that their patient was actually waking up. She then glanced over at Freddie. "If you can speak some comforting words to her, that would be great. She's going to feel a bit woozy and the sound of a friend's voice will help keep her relaxed." The medic explained to him.

"Of course!" He replied, wanting to help out in anyway he could.

"Thank you." She answered, then looked down at Sam. "It's odd though. Usually when someone passes out and is slipped a painkiller, they remain asleep for the duration of the ride. That girl is one tough cookie.." She then turned around and continued to work on various equipment.

_'You have no idea..'_ Freddie thought. He then returned his sight back to Sam and saw she was still trying to open her eyelids. "Hey Sam.." He gently stated to her.

"Huh...who?" Sam's muffled voice spoke quietly from behind the mask.

"It's Freddie." He quickly replied.

"Fredward...?"

"Yeah, I'm right here." He gently gave her hand a light squeeze to show he was close. He watched as she finally found the strength to lift her eyelids.

"Whoa..." She muttered as she looked around. "Where....?"

"You're in an ambulance." He softly explained, not sure what kind of response he was going to get.

"Am-bu-lance?" Sam weakly repeated his words, as if she couldn't figure out what he said.

"Yeah." He replied as he looked down at her. "We're on the way to the hospital."

"Oh...ok." Sam looked up at him and gave him a big smile.

_'Never once in my life have I been so appreciative for painkillers..' _Freddie thought as he looked down at his friend. She was extremely peaceful and compliant.

"Hey Freddie......wassup?" Sam once again smiled at him. He couldn't help but give a small laugh. It was just too weird seeing her like this.

"Uh, not much." He replied, finding it odd to have such a normal conversation in an ambulance. "How are you doing?"

"Goooood." Sam replied as she looked down at her nose cross eyed. "Though I think something is trying to eat my face...." She spoke, referring to the oxygen mask.

"Oh that? Don't worry about it." Freddie replied. It was obvious she was feeling the medication.

"Okay, I won't then Freddeh." Sam gave a muffled laugh behind her mask. "I probably wouldn't taste good anyway." Freddie gave a small chuckle.

"So you're feeling alright?" He asked, finding an indirect way to check if the pain had stopped.

"I feel..." Sam stopped to try and think. "I feel amazing. Now who are you young man?" Her head started to bob back and forth slightly as she tried to focus on him.

"Uh, I'm Freddie." He cocked an eyebrow. The full effects of the morphine were obviously hitting her.

"Freddie...I like that name." Sam closed her eyes. "Freddie rhymes with spaghetti. Mmmm, spaghetti and meatballs. Meatballs..." She was starting to rant randomly.

_'Leave it to Sam to find a way to turn a conversation to meatballs...'_ Freddie smiled.

"Do you like meatballs Teddie?" Sam looked up at him.

"Yes I do, and the name's Freddie." He replied patiently.

"Hmm...Freddie. I have a friend named Freddie. He's really smart." Sam closed her eyes once more.

"Really?!" He asked, shocked to hear her compliment him.

"Oh yeah." Sam reopened her eyes once more. "He knows a lot of technomorphic wifi blueteeth cable stuff." She blabbed out random words, some not making sense, but he understood the gist of what she was saying. She then looked up at him, with a polite smile. "So what did you say your name was?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Spencer and Carly were in their car once more, driving towards the hospital. Luckily Sam's house was on the way so they didn't waste too much time going out there to get the photo. Spencer heard his little sister sigh and he looked over at her. Her elbow was resting on the car door as she held her head in her hand. She was looking out of the window with a defeated look.

"We're going to be there soon. I'd say we have around three more minutes until we get there."

"Thank goodness." Carly replied. Even though she was with Sam not thirty minutes ago, it felt as if it had been hours since she last saw her best friend.

* * *

"My name is Freddie." Freddie responded gently. He felt as if the conversation was going around in circles, but didn't mind.

"Freddie....oh hey Fredhead." Sam looked up at him, seemingly starting to recognize who she was talking to. "Where's Carly?" Now he knew she realized who he was if she was starting to talk about her best friend.

"Um, Carly went to your house to get that photo. But she'll be on her way to the hospital soon."

"Oh no!" Sam looked up at him with a worried look. "Hospital? What's wrong? Is she ok?"

"Yeah yeah! Carly's fine!" Freddie quickly replied, not wanting to upset Sam.

"Oh..." She responded, letting the drugs haze her mind once more. "Thanks goodness....." Sam mumbled. Freddie found that her concern for her best friend was touching, despite her not fully understanding the situation. "So, Carly's going to be here?" Sam asked, her eyelids half closed.

"Yup." Freddie replied.

"That mean we're going to rehearse iCarly?"

"Uh, maybe later."

"Ok, cool." Sam smiled. Freddie was glad she was focusing on the fun stuff instead of hospitals and surgery.

"Alright." The male paramedic started to say. "We're here." The ambulance had started to pull into the hospital emergency drop off area.

_'Wow, already?'_ Freddie thought as he felt the vehicle slow to a stop. Once he and Sam had started talking, time flew by.

"Ok, let's get the gurney unlatched." The female medic stated as the two started to unhook the bed.

"Whoa, what's going on? What are they doing in my room?" Sam looked over at Freddie as she watched the paramedics work.

"Uh..." He wasn't sure how to answer that. Just then he heard a scrape at the door. Freddie watched as it rolled open, sunlight filling the dark van.

"Close the blinds mom.." Sam muttered, shutting her eyes.

"Let's help you out." Freddie looked over and saw a man hold his hand to him from outside. Freddie took it and was helped out of the back of the vehicle. He turned around and watched as the various hospital workers had started to lift Sam out. When she was fully out, they released the spring loaded wheels on the gurney, transforming it back into it's mobile form.

"Holy cheese....my bed has wheels..." Sam mumbled as they started to roll her towards the building. Freddie ran up to her side and took a hold of her hand, walking with the pace of the paramedics. As soon as she felt him grab her hand she looked over.

"Hi Freddie." She smiled.

"Hello." He smiled back.

* * *

Freddie continued to walk alongside his friend through the hospital until they met up at a door. One of the paramedics turned towards him.

"I'm sorry, but you can't walk past this point. You'll have to stay in the waiting area." The man pointed to a big lobby-like section with couches and chairs.

"I understand." Freddie replied, sadly. This was the moment he regretted, leaving one of his best friends. "Sam, I have to go now." He looked over at her and saw her eyelids were slowly going up and down, as if she was trying to keep them open.

"You're leaving?" She asked quietly. Freddie gulped. He felt guilty but knew there was nothing he could do from this point.

"Yes, I'm sorry."

"Oh...ok." Sam replied sadly. "I'll see ya later then." She smiled as she perked up.

"Yeah." He returned the smile. "See ya later." Sam, still in the midst of drugs, gave a small wave to him as she was then pushed through the doors. Freddie stood there and waved back until he saw the doors shut. He then ran his hand through his hair.

"Man.." He sighed. _'That was hard..' _He turned around and started to walk towards a chair when he heard a familiar voice. He looked up and saw that his mother was standing at the front desk and speaking with a lady. "Mom!" Never in his life had he been so happy to see her. Mrs. Benson turned around at the sound of his voice.

"Freddie!" She exclaimed happily as he walked up to her.

"I'm so glad you're here! They just rolled Sam in." Freddie pointed to the doors. She nodded in appreciation and looked back at the lady behind the desk.

"That girl who was just wheeled in, her name is Samantha Puckett." Mrs. Benson explained.

"Are you the mother?" The lady asked as she started to get papers ready.

"No. We're friends." Mrs. Benson pointed to herself and Freddie. "We're not sure where her mother is."

"Really?" The lady looked up at her. "Any number we can contact?"

"Sam's mom doesn't have a cellphone." Freddie cut in.

"And her father?" The lady asked.

"Uh, I don't think he's in the picture." Freddie added.

"Alright, well do you have a home number we can try to get to?"

"Yeah sure." Freddie answered as he read out Sam's number. The lady wrote it down as he spoke.

"Thank you." She replied.

"So, what happens if you can't contact her mom?" Freddie asked, realizing that was quite possible.

"Well, generally a patient needs parental consent for certain operations, but if it's an emergency, the hospital has a legal right to save a patient's life." The woman explained.

"Good.." Freddie sighed, relieved.

"Listen, I'll handle all the hospital paperwork alright? How about you sit over in the waiting area and relax?" Mrs. Benson stated to her son.

"Ok, thanks mom." He gave his mother a hug, appreciative of her help. Mrs. Benson returned the hug and then watched as he walked away. She turned around to continue discussing the issues about Sam's operation.

* * *

Spencer and Carly had just pulled up to the hospital parking lot. Carly couldn't describe the amount of anxiety she was feeling at that moment. The two got out of the car and Spencer clicked the lock button on his keys.

"You got the photo?" He asked.

"Yeah, right here." Carly gently held it out.

"Good. Socko and Taylor are going to meet us here. They're going to help search for Sam's mom." Spencer explained to his sister as they walked into the building.

"Do you think they can find her?" Carly asked hopefully.

"Socko and Taylor can find _anything_." Spencer confirmed. Eventually they had made their way to the emergency area. As they walked through the hallway, they finally stepped into the waiting room where Freddie and his mom were.

"Carly! Spencer!" Freddie jumped up from his seat as he saw the two familiar faces walk in.

"Freddie!" Carly ran over, happy to see him. "When did you get here?"

"Uh.." He looked over at a clock on the wall. "I'd say roughly twelve minutes ago."

"And Sam...?" Carly asked.

"They wheeled her through those doors right away." Freddie pointed to them.

"They're going to see what's wrong with her." Mrs. Benson added. "Right now they're checking to see what the abdominal pain is from and if she needs an operation."

"Ok." Carly replied. She was just so relieved to have everyone together again.

"So you found the picture?" Freddie asked.

"Yes, right here." Carly held it up.

"Here, why don't you give that to me." Spencer took the picture from here. "That way I can give it to Socko and Taylor when they get here."

"Alright, but make sure you take care of it! And tell your friends to take care of it too. It means a lot to Sam." Carly replied, knowing the importance of the picture.

"I'll take care of it as if it were my own." Spencer replied. Carly just stared at him and cocked an eyebrow. "Ok, I'll take even better care of it!" Spencer added, realizing he wasn't all that careful with his own items.

"Good." Carly confirmed. She then turned around towards Freddie and signaled for him to sit down with her. "So how was the ride?" She asked hesitantly.

"Well..." Freddie cleared his throat. "Sam was pretty ticked off in the beginning." Carly gave a small smile.

"Sounds about right." She replied.

"Yeah." Freddie chuckled. "You should of seen when they gave her the IV."

"A needle?"

"Yup." Freddie nodded.

"Yikes."

"Tell me about it. Anyways.." Freddie took a deep breath. "The pain had started to get worse for her." He spoke as he watched Carly's face turn to worry. "It got a bit rough.." He stated quietly.

"Rough?" Carly asked.

"Yeah...it was pretty bad. She was having trouble breathing."

"Oh my god.." Carly spoke softly.

"But don't worry!" Freddie quickly assured her. "They gave her oxygen and morphine."

"Morphine?" Carly asked.

"It's a painkiller." Freddie replied.

"Oh, ok, so then what?" Carly asked, fearing what else he had to say.

"She kind of passed out again..." Freddie explained. Spencer and Mrs. Benson listened quietly as the kids spoke.

"Really?!" Carly asked.

"Yeah, it was from the pain."

"Sam..." Carly looked down at the floor, in worry. Freddie gently touched her on the shoulder.

"She did wake up though."

"She did?"

"Yeah, like a minute after she fainted."

"And how did she feel then?" Carly asked.

"Well..." Freddie looked up for a moment, recalling the events. "She was a lot ......calmer."

"Calmer?"

"Yup. Apparently the painkillers had started to kick in, and she was pretty relaxed."

"Oh, that's good then?" Carly asked, unsure.

"Yeah definitely. She and I chatted the rest of the way to the hospital. She wasn't in any pain." Freddie gave a small smile.

"Thank goodness.." Carly sighed. She really wished she had been there for her friend. "What did you guys talk about?" Carly asked and was surprised to see Freddie smile.

"Meatballs." He replied.

"Meatballs?"

"Yup." He looked at her. They both sat in silence before they started chuckling.

"That's so Sam." Carly replied with a smile. Just then a man dressed in green clothing walked up to them.

"Hello, my name is Dr. Smith. Are you the people who came in with Samantha Puckett?" He asked. Everyone stood up as they looked at him.

"Yes we are." Spencer replied.

"Are you the parents?" He pointed to Mrs. Benson and Spencer.

"No, we're not." Spencer replied.

"Family?" The doctor asked.

"No, friends." Spencer explained.

"Do you have a diagnosis?" Mrs. Benson asked.

"I really should be speaking to her parents.." The doctor started off.

"Please!" Carly added. "Her mom's not here, and probably won't be for a while. We're all she has right now and we're worried about her. Tell us what's wrong!"

The doctor saw genuine worry in her face. "Alright..It seems as though she does indeed have appendicitis." He explained. "I will be operating on her shortly. While we are getting the anesthesia ready, we're currently trying to bring her fever down as it's pretty high."

"Oh man.." Spencer mumbled.

"So if you're bringing her fever down, that means she's currently in the waiting area?" Mrs. Benson asked.

"Yes." Dr. Smith confirmed.

"Is there any chance that visitors are allowed?" Mrs. Benson asked, fully aware that parents were allowed to be with their children when they were waiting for surgery.

"I'm sorry, but that's only reserved for family and...."

"Excuse me a moment." Mrs. Benson stated to the kids as she walked over to the doctor and pulled him away to talk in private. Spencer, Carly and Freddie watched as they discussed something from far away. Eventually the two walked back over.

"Alright, under the circumstances, I'll allow ONE visitor." He explained. The group looked over at each other and the answer was obvious.

Freddie spoke up. "Carly, you go."

* * *

**Alrighty! Carly may have not been there for the ambulance ride, but she gets to be Sam's one visitor! Luckily Mrs. Benson knows how to work the hospital crowd. ;)  
**

**Also, again, I know NOTHING of how the hospitals work so just use your imagination for this story if I get stuff wrong lol. Hope you liked this chapter! I had fun writing the Freddie/Sam conversation. ^_^**


	13. Just Incase

**I'm currently sitting here at my computer, writing the last touches to this chapter, eating a bowl of Reese's Pieces, and watching an iCarly marathon on TV. Multitasking can be fun! Anyways, I just wanted to say that I'm glad you all like drugged up Sam from last chapter! It was one of my favorite scenes to write so far! That was the humorous side to her, but this chapter is going to deal with the more dramatic one. I know how you guys like the funny stuff but unfortunately this chapter is a bit more serious. xP Hope you like!  
**

* * *

"Alright, under the circumstances, I'll allow ONE visitor." Dr. Smith explained. The group looked over at each other and the answer was obvious.

"Carly, you go." Freddie replied. She looked at him gratefully.

"Thank you." She answered.

"Nurse!" Dr. Smith waved over a woman walking with a clipboard. "Can you take this girl to the patients in the waiting area for surgery?" He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her with Sam's information on it. She quickly scanned it.

"Of course." The nurse glanced at Carly. "Come with me." Carly did as she was told and followed the nurse through the doors Sam was rolled past earlier.

* * *

Eventually the nurse led Carly through a hallway and stopped at a door.

"She's currently waiting in here. Don't be alarmed if she seems dazed. The paramedics had to give her a painkiller in the ambulance." She explained.

"Alright." Carly nodded, showing she understood.

"Also, I don't mean to rush you, but can you please keep your visit short?" The nurse asked. "We try to keep the visitors down to a minimum so the doctors can wheel the patients in and out of the room without trouble."

"Of course." She replied as the woman then held the door open for her. "Thank you." Carly said as she walked through and shut the door quietly behind her. She stopped for a moment as she looked over the room. It was standard looking for a hospital. There were a few gurney beds that were lined up against the wall with various people in them. A few of them were empty. There was a woman sitting at a desk in the corner writing something down. She was most likely there to keep an eye on the patients in waiting for the OR. Before Carly could find Sam, the woman looked up from her desk and waved her over.

"May I ask who you're here to see?" The woman whispered as Carly made her way over to her.

"Samantha Puckett." Carly replied, just as quietly as the woman had spoke. The lady at the desk flipped through a pad of paper.

"Ah yes. The appendectomy. She's in the bed on the far left." Carly turned around as the woman pointed to the last bed lined against the left side of the wall. "For the comfort of the patients I'll have to ask you to keep your voice down when visiting."

"I completely understand." Carly replied. The woman gave a small smile, realizing she wouldn't have a problem with her.

"Also, you've been warned of the time limit?"

"Yes m'am. I won't be long." Carly confirmed.

"Alright, you may go see her." The woman replied.

"Thank you." Carly responded as she turned around and walked down the aisles of beds. As she came upon Sam's gurney, she noticed her best friend was laying down, facing away from her with her eyes closed. She had been changed out of her clothes and was now dressed in a hospital gown with various ice packets pressed alongside her neck and whatnot to keep her temperature down. There was also a tube sticking out of one of her arms which was her IV leading up to a mysterious bag of liquid that hung at the top corner of the gurney.

"Sam?" Carly whispered as she walked up to the bedside. She watched her friend's eyes open slowly as she looked towards the source of the voice. Carly could see that her eyes were glazed over a bit, a result of the drugs. When Sam's gaze fell upon her friend, she squinted for a moment, almost as if she couldn't figure out who was talking to her.

"Carly? That you? " Sam's voice came out weak and quiet.

"Yeah, it's me." Carly gently stated as she watched Sam close her eyes for a moment then reopen them, taking a longer time than normal to blink.

"I'm so glad you're here." Sam looked up at her dreamily and held a big smile on her face. "I thought they said no visitors except family, and well, for me that'd be no visitors."

"Don't worry, we're going to get your mom." Carly reassured her. "And as for me, those doctors couldn't keep me away if they tried." She smiled as she put her hand on top of Sam's.

"Thank you for coming." Sam replied sincerely, grateful her friend was there.

"No problem." Carly responded softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Um.." Sam looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "I dunno.." She then closed her eyes. "I feel, funny." She reopened her eyes and looked at Carly. "But not haha funny. More like, oh look there goes a flying cow kind of funny." Sam smiled at her best friend.

"Yeah, drugs will do that to you." Carly let out a small laugh. "So you're not in any pain?"

"Nopeee." Sam slurred. "Not anymore. Pain is gone. In fact, I feel kind of relaxed....like sitting on a cloudddd...." Sam's eyes were once again closing. Carly watched as her friend was apparently starting to fall asleep in mid sentence.

"That's good." Carly replied, glad she wasn't hurting.

"Yeah..." Sam agreed, looking up at her. "But I do remember something about being in a lot of pain before....although I can't seem to figure out what happened after I left your apartment." She slowly closed her eyes. "Everything is a blur." Sam muttered as she opened her eyes and looked up at her friend. "How'd I get here?"

"Spencer called in an ambulance. You rode here with Freddie." Carly gently explained.

"Really?" Sam cocked an eyebrow. "That's weird....I don't remember..."

"Maybe it's for the best." Carly replied. "Freddie did say you were in so much pain that you actually blacked out for a moment."

"Wow.." Sam slurred. "That's ker-azy..." Her eyes slid shut once more. Carly quickly came to the conclusion that she might not even remember this conversation either. "So you say I rode with Freddie?" Sam asked, keeping her eyes closed.

"Yeah."

"I can sort of remember that.." Sam replied, tilting her head to the side. "I mean, I can picture his voice talking to me and stuff....when I was in the ambulance...like a dream."

"Freddie did say you guys had a nice chat." Carly spoke as she looked down at her friend.

"I talked to him?" Sam opened her eyes and looked back at Carly. Even though she was still in a cloud of drugs, she realized that there was a possibility that she might of said something to him which should of stayed in her thoughts. "What did he say we talked about?!" Sam asked. Carly could hear the slight panic rise in her voice.

"He said you talked about meatballs." She quickly replied.

"Meatballs?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." Carly gave a small smile, knowing that news would relax her.

"Oh, ok then." Sam gave a small laugh and smiled at her friend, relieved to hear that her conversation with Freddie was about nothing. "Man, you'd think I'd remember talking about one of the most important things in the world..." Sam let out a huge yawn.

"Well don't worry, you'll have plenty of other chances to discuss the importance of balls of meat when you get out of here." Carly responded softly.

"Veryyyy truueee...." Sam muttered as her eyelids started to go down.

"Sam?" Carly asked as she realized her friend was drifting in and out of it.

"Mmmrmm..." Sam let out a small mumble, as if she was trying to reply but falling asleep instead. Carly looked down at her tired friend.

"Unfortunately I have to make this visit short." She started to explain as her Sam's eyes completely shut. She wanted so badly to stay with her but realized now would be a good time to end the visit if Sam was getting more and more out of it. That way she wouldn't be too upset to see her best friend leave. "I'm going to go now, but I'll see you again real soon, alright?" Carly didn't expect an answer, but just wanted to make sure she told Sam what was up. When she was met with no response, she lightly patted her on the arm, and turned around to start to leave. She began to walk away until she felt something grab her hand and gently pull her back.

"No...wait..." Sam muttered, her eyes half open. Carly turned around to see that she was clutching onto her hand, preventing her from leaving.

"Yes?" Carly responded quietly as she turned back around.

"There's something I want to tell you. Something important.." Sam's eyes started to open more.

"Sure." Carly replied, patiently listening.

"I'm warning you though, it may get a bit mushy and sappy." Sam explained, struggling to wake back up. "These drugs are making my head swim, and I might say something stupid, but I need you to hear what I'm thinking anyways. Just incase surgery doesn't...." She stopped as she bit the bottom of her lip. "Incase surgery doesn't go well."

"Sam, don't talk like that." Carly looked back at her with worry. She had kept a hold on her composure for her best friend's sake so far, but if she started talking about possible death, Carly knew she couldn't be strong enough for her.

"I know, I know...simple procedure." Sam replied. "But you and I both understand that in this situation...there's always a_ 'just incase'_." She looked over at Carly and realized her best friend was at a loss for words. "So please, just listen?" Sam asked quietly, noticing her friend's emotions were rising to the surface as well as her own. Both of them felt liquid well up in their eyes but each refused to let it fall until what needed to be said was said.

"A-alright. I'll listen." Carly finally replied, her voice wavering. Sam gave her a nod of appreciation then closed her eyes and thought for a moment, trying to think of a way to start. Carly watched as her friend let out a deep breath and looked back at her.

"You know....I've made a lot of mistakes in my life.." Sam spoke quietly. "And well....." She stopped talking, frustration showing on her face. It was obvious she was having a hard time trying to get her thoughts out. "And I....." Sam once again stopped, shut her eyes and sighed.

"It's alright, take your time." Carly advised. She knew Sam was fighting the medication and didn't want her to get flustered while trying to talk, especially with a fever.

"Carly, you..." Sam opened her eyes once more and looked Carly straight in the eye, using her as a focus point. "You're my best friend. The one who saw past those mistakes, and I just...." Sam swallowed hard, trying to figure out her words. "...And I just want you to know that I couldn't have found a better friend. You really mean a lot to me. And I don't _just_ consider you a best friend." Sam paused, making sure she had her speech right. "You're as important to me as family.....and I don't mean the ones in jail." She gave a small laugh.

"Oh Sam..." Carly replied softly with a smile. "I've always thought of you as a sister." She responded, cupping Sam's hand in both of hers. "One really funny, school hating, butt kicking sister." Carly added. The two girls looked at each other with small smiles. They both knew how much these simple statements meant to one other, and would remember this moment as one of the most important in their friendship.

"You're a good friend Carls.." Sam had finally given up the fight on her emotions and let a tear roll down her cheek. Wiping it away, she held out her arms. "Hug?"

Carly sniffled as her own tears finally trailed down. "You know it." She smiled as she bent over the side of the bed and gently wrapped her arms around Sam, careful not to hurt her. Even though her friend was weak, Carly felt Sam put all her emotional strength into that hug, just as she did herself. After a few moments, the girls finally broke off their embrace.

"That's all I wanted to tell you." Sam smiled at Carly, giving her the signal that _now _she was done talking. "Plus, I think the lady at the desk is getting kind of antsy." Sam chuckled. She'd really rather have Carly wait with her the whole time, but understood that visitors weren't allowed to stay in this room very long.

Carly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Always quick with some last remark huh?" She let out a small laugh.

Sam smiled. "You know it." She answered, using her best friend's words.

"And you'll be ok?" Carly asked, wanting to make sure Sam was really ready for her to leave.

"Yeah sure. I'm on the verge of sleep right now anyway.....or flying. I have no clue. This stuff is crazy." Sam replied, referring to the drugs. "I bet they put this in the cafeteria food at school." Her eyelids started to go down as she let her focus start to get cloudy once more.

"You wish." Carly replied, watching her friend succumb to the medication's effects.

"You're right.....I do wish..." Sam's voice started to slur.

"Alright sleepy." Carly smiled, giving her best friend a temporary nickname. "I'm going to head out now." She spoke softly, watching Sam drift in and out.

"Ok, I'll see you when..." Sam thought for a second. "..uh whenever I can get my eyelids open again." She replied, her eyes now completely shut, feeling like weights were tied onto them.

"And I'll be right there when you wake up from surgery." Carly replied patting her friend's hand.

"Thank you." Sam smiled. "Oh, and one last thing..." She muttered, almost as if she were talking in her sleep.

"Yes?" Carly replied. She watched as Sam paused for a moment and took a deep breath.

"Tell my mom....I love her." She spoke quietly, her voice quivering. Her eyes remained shut. "And tell Freddie thanks, and that I'm sorry....for everything." With that last statement Sam's head tilted down, signaling she finally gave in to the medication and was fully out of it. Carly looked down for a moment at the floor and then back at her currently sleeping friend.

"I will.." She whispered. She knew what Sam had meant with Freddie, and would make sure she'd get the messages delivered to both him and her mom. Feeling her heart grow heavy, Carly took one last glance at her best friend, realizing that she had just been entrusted with one of the most important favors a friend could ask. Tying up loose ends in her life....._just incase._

_

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_**I tried my best to keep the characters IN-character (especially Sam) but it's kind of hard when trying to write out an emotional scene. I hope you guys found it to be believable!**_  
_


	14. Enter: Socko and Taylor

**Alrighty, first off before you start with this chapter, I have something I need to tell you guys. You're going to meet Socko and Taylor in this one and I have two actors in mind I want you to picture for their characters. Now normally I don't do this, but I felt the need to with Socko and Taylor. I usually just give a few small details about made up characters and allow the reader to picture whatever they may look like in their own mind. But as for Socko and Taylor, I have a definite image for them. So without anymore interruptions....I want you to picture the following actors for these characters:**

**Socko-----Josh Peck**

**Taylor------Drake Bell**

**I just love the idea of Drake and Josh being Spencer's wacky friends on iCarly, and I hope that Dan Schneider can get them to appear as such in the future! =) Hope you guys like the idea too! Now onto the story!

* * *

**

Spencer, Mrs. Benson, and Freddie watched as Carly followed the nurse past the doors. Freddie let out a small sigh as they shut completely. He then turned around to face the doctor.

"Dr. Smith, when are we going to know anything?"

"Well...it's hard to tell." He answered. "You see, the operation lasts an average of two hours, but depending on the severity of the infection it could take a bit more time."

"Yes, if the appendix ruptured, there could be complications which may add a few hours onto the operation." Mrs. Benson added. The doctor looked over at her.

"You're quite knowledgeable about this procedure." He replied.

"I work here as a part time nurse." Mrs. Benson added.

"You know, we're a little short staffed today."

"Oh I'm sorry, but I just can't leave my son." Mrs. Benson quickly replied.

"Wait!" Freddie responded. "If you go to work, will you be able to keep on eye on Sam?" Mrs. Benson thought for a moment and looked at Dr. Smith.

"You can be assigned to be one of Samantha's nurses if that's what you wish." He confirmed. She then looked back over at her son for his input.

"I've got Carly and Spencer here. I'll be fine." Freddie replied. "I just want you to make sure Sam is ok..."

"Alright." Mrs. Benson put her hand on Freddie's shoulder before looking over at the doctor. "I'll go get my uniform."

"Thanks very much." Dr. Smith replied. "Meet me in the waiting area after you change. We'll check her temperature and see if she's ready to be prepped for surgery."

"Ok." Mrs. Benson replied. She then turned towards Freddie and kissed him on the forehead. "You be good for mommy now. Listen to Spencer."

"I will." Freddie replied. He watched as his mother turned around and walked down a hallway to get into her work clothes. He then turned to face Spencer. "She may be a bit crazy, but it's times like these that I know I can count on her." Freddie smiled.

"Yeah, she's good people." Spencer gave a small laugh. "Wanna sit down?" He motioned over to a few empty chairs.

"Sure." Freddie responded. The two walked over and sat down.

"So how you holding up?" Spencer asked.

"Eh, I've been better." Freddie replied honestly.

"Yeah same." Spencer replied.

"You know.." Freddie started off. "I actually would rather have Sam beating me up with a crowbar live on iCarly than be sitting here right now."

"I'm sure she wishes that too." Spencer gave a small smile of comfort to him. Freddie looked over at him and laughed.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Freddie chuckled.

"But seriously, don't worry so much Freddy-O." Spencer playfully shoved his shoulder. "Soon enough we'll be out of here. _All_ of us."

"I know...but still. I just hate...not knowing, you know?" Freddie looked down.

"Yeah I know." Spencer replied. "But the doctors will fix her up, and if they slack off, I'm sure your mom will kick them into gear."

"Boy, ain't that the truth!" Freddie smiled. Just then Spencer's cellphone rang.

"Oh, hold on one moment." He spoke to Freddie as he pulled it out. The word 'Socko' read on the front.

"Hey Socko!" Spencer replied happily. "You guys here?"

_**"Yup yup!"**_ Socko replied. _**"Just one problem."**_

"What?" Spencer asked worriedly.

_**"We have no idea where you guys are. Right now me and Taylor are....TAYLOR!"**_ Spencer could hear Socko yelling to his brother on the other end. _**"Stop talking to that nurse! This is no time to be picking up girls!"**_

_**"I wasn't trying to get a date!"**_ Taylor's voice could be heard in the background. Spencer cocked an eyebrow as he listened to their conversation. _**"I was trying to ask her for directions! Can I help it if she just happened to slip me her phone number?" **_Taylor's voice stated in defense.

_**"PRIORITIES. YOU NEED PRIORITIES." **_Socko yelled to his brother, as well as into Spencer's ear.

"Yowch!" Spencer held the phone away from him, trying to get his hearing back.

"What's going on?" Freddie asked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Spencer replied as he put the phone back to his ear. "Yo, Socko, you still there?"

_**"Yeah."**_ He replied.

"We're in the emergency room waiting area. In the left wing." Spencer explained. He then heard a loud thump on the other end, signaling that someone was hit.

_**"See?! I told you we should of been going towards the left side of the building." **_Socko yelled angrily at his brother.

_**"I thought you meant my left!"**_ Taylor replied in defense.

_**"WE'RE FACING THE SAME WAY. MY LEFT **__**IS**__** YOUR LEFT!"**_ Socko yelled back.

"GUYS!" Spencer yelled into the phone. He heard the brothers stop bickering as the other end became quiet. "Will you get your butts over here already?!"

_**"Fine."**_ Socko replied.

_**"Roger that!"**_ Taylor responded in the background.

"Great. See you in a few!" Spencer then clamped his cell phone shut and sighed a breath of relief as he slumped down in his seat.

"Wow. That was.....intense." Freddie remarked.

"You can say that again." Spencer replied as he looked over at the hospital doors and saw them open as his sister walked out. "Oh hey! Here comes Carly." He sat up in his seat and pointed to her. Freddie looked up and was glad to see her. She saw them and walked over.

"Hey Carly, how was...." Freddie's statement was cut off as he realized her eyes were slightly red and puffy. "Are you ok?!" He asked.

"Yeah.." She cleared her throat. "It just got a bit....emotional in there. No worries." She gave him a half hearted smile.

"So, how is she?" Spencer asked softly, referring to Sam. He watched as Carly took a seat next to Freddie.

"Well, when I first got there, she was pretty much out of it. But she woke up quickly." Carly took a deep breath. "Then we started talking."

"About what?" Spencer asked.

"Oh you know...flying cows, clouds, the usual." She smiled. "We also talked about the ambulance ride."

"You did?" Freddie asked.

"Yeah. At first she said she couldn't remember much."

"I'm not surprised." He replied. "She was really drugged up."

"But she did say she remembered you were talking to her. She said it felt like a dream."

"Really?"

"Uh huh." Carly paused for a moment. "I think she really appreciated what you did for her." Freddie nodded in thought as he listened.

"You think?"

"Yeah." Carly confirmed. No one could read Sam better than her so her statement meant a lot to him.

"Wow....she must of been drugged up more so than I thought." He gave a small laugh. Carly chuckled.

"So you girls had a nice chat?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah....it was nice." Carly smiled, recalling the moment they shared. "We definitely needed that." Carly decided to keep the details of that conversation to herself. It only needed to be between Sam and her.

"That's good." Spencer smiled as his cell started to ring again. "Oh, that's probably Socko again."

"They're here?" Carly looked at him.

"Yeah, except they're kind of lost." Spencer replied as he pulled out his cell. Sure enough it was his friend calling him. He flipped open his phone. "Hey Socks. You find your way here yet?" Spencer asked.

_**"Um...not really."**_ Socko answered sheepishly. _**"We somehow ended up in the nursery section."**_

_**"Aw, who's a cute baby?" **_Taylor's voice stated in the background as Spencer heard a chorus of babies start to cry.

_**"Oh man! We gotta get out of here!"**_ Socko quickly stated.

_**"Hey, who are those boys? Get away from my baby!"**_ A random woman's voice yelled in the distance.

_**"AHH!"**_ Socko yelled before his end abruptly hung up.

"What is wrong with those two?" Carly asked as Spencer shut his phone and slid it back into his pocket.

"I don't know, but I'm guessing I'll have to go find them before security drags them away." He sighed as he stood up and stretched. "You guys going to be ok for a while if I leave you alone?"

"Yeah sure." Carly replied.

"Alright, I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." Spencer replied as he started to walk away from the waiting area. Carly and Freddie watched as he disappeared though a hallway.

"Wanna bet he gets lost too?" Freddie smiled.

"It wouldn't be fair to bet on a sure thing." Carly responded. The two shared a small laugh. "So...where's your mom?" Carly looked around, realizing she hadn't seen Mrs. Benson since she came back.

"Oh, she went to go work as a nurse. The doctor said they're short handed today, so my mom agreed to work on the condition that she's placed as Sam's nurse."

"Really? Does that mean she'll give us updates?" Carly asked.

"I hope so." Freddie responded.

"That's good." Carly sighed, feeling better that Mrs. Benson could take care of Sam from the medical side of the situation.

"Yeah I know. Kind of gives you a sense of security, know what I mean?" Freddie practically read Carly's mind.

"Definitely." Carly smiled back at him.

"So....back to Sam. When we were in the ambulance she kept forgetting who I was. It was kind of funny. Did she say anything humorous to you?" Freddie gave a small smile but it quickly faded as Carly looked down sadly.

"Not exactly.."

**

* * *

****Next chapter: Carly has to keep good on her promise and get those messages delivered for Sam! **

**This was just a small chapter to push the story along. It was mostly a test to see how you guys feel about Socko and Taylor. So, do you like them? I figured they could add a nice humorous aspect to this story. =) Please tell me your opinions on their personalities so far!**


	15. Hospital Workers From Hell

**I'm so glad you guys liked Socko and Taylor! Thanks for telling me what you thought of them! Now I know how I'm going to write them. =)**

**

* * *

**"So....back to Sam. When we were in the ambulance she kept forgetting who I was. It was kind of funny. Did she say anything humorous to you?" Freddie gave a small smile but it quickly faded as Carly looked down sadly.

"Not exactly.."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Freddie asked softly. "Did the drugs wear off?" She looked at him and thought for a moment.

"No...she was still pretty conked out." Carly recalled. "But she did tell me something important...to tell you."

"Me?" Freddie cocked an eyebrow. "What would she want to tell me? That I'm a nerd?" He gave a small laugh and Carly smiled.

"No." She rolled her eyes jokingly. "But seriously though, when I was talking to her, she was really shaken."

"She was freaking out?" Freddie widened his eyes.

"Not physically." Carly looked down. "But mentally. I could tell. And she wanted me to tell you this.." Carly took a deep breath.

"Yeah?"

"Well, first off she wanted to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?" Freddie asked, unsure of the message.

"For the ambulance ride!" Carly tilted her head and sighed. "C'mon Freddie, think!" She lightly pushed his shoulder.

"Ok ok!" He put his hands up. "I'm sorry, I'm just not used to Sam thanking me! You've got to give me time to adjust to this." He stated with a smile.

"I know." Carly gave a small laugh and then sighed. "But there was also another thing she wanted me to tell you.." Carly looked over at him. Freddie looked back at her curiously. "She wanted me to tell you she was sorry."

"Sorry? About what?" He didn't understand. "The movie thing? I told her that didn't matter..."

"Freddie, I don't think it was about the movie.." Carly said softly, looking over at him and realizing he hadn't heard her.

"I mean, we can watch a movie any ole day! If you're sick, then you're sick! I can understand that.." He continued to ramble to himself.

"Freddie!" Carly put her hand on his shoulder to shut him up for the moment.

"What?"

"She said she was sorry for _everything_."

"Everything?" Freddie asked, confused at first until his eyes widened in realization. "Oh..." He said looking at Carly.

"Yeah." She replied, knowing he finally understood. Freddie gave a nervous laugh.

"Well, her mind is pretty fogged up. That's the only reason she would apologize to me." He scratched the back of his head, trying to ignore the real reason why Sam wanted to clear things up with him.

"When we were talking, she was obviously fighting the medication. I think she was pretty aware of what was happening and why she needed me to tell..." Carly started to explain.

"No! You're wrong!" Freddie jumped up from his seat and turned away from her. "Look, it has to be the medication! Sam wouldn't say something like that! She would say I'm a dweeb or a moron or a..." He stopped talking as he started to fumble over his words. He refused to acknowledge that there was even a slim chance his friend could die.

"But Freddie.." Carly said gently.

"I'm not going to accept an apology from her like this!" Freddie yelled out. "She's going to be fine. Everything's going to be fine!" Carly watched as he paced the floor angrily. She knew he had finally lost his grip on his own emotions, and that his anger was just a means to hide his fear.

"Please calm down!" Carly advised worriedly.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?! My friend is in a hospital waiting for surgery and you want me to calm down?!" Tears formed in the corners of his eyes as he snapped back at her.

"You don't think I'm scared too?!" Carly jumped up from her seat. "I'm terrified! That's my best friend in there." She pointed towards the door. "But we can't just loose it ok?!" Carly yelled as Freddie looked her in the eyes, startled to see her have her own outburst. Carly paused for a moment and took a deep breath to clear her head. "Look, I know how you feel, _believe me_. You're angry, sad, scared, sick to your stomach.." Carly listed off everything she could think of. "But if we act like this, it's as if we're giving in." She explained as Freddie looked down to the floor sadly. "Survival rates for this procedure are high enough that we don't have to put ourselves through this mental torture. I know Sam wouldn't want to see us breaking down like this. So let's stay strong and remain calm. If not for us, then for her, alright?" Carly asked as she saw him think for a moment.

"You're right.." He replied finally. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize." Carly added softly as he looked back up at her. "Let's just sit down and cool off." She offered her hand to him and he took it, gratefully. She then led them back to both their seats. As they sat down, they both decided it was best to just stay quiet for now.

* * *

Meanwhile, Spencer was walking down the hospital halls, and wasn't quite sure how to get to the nursery area. When he noticed a nurse with a clipboard hurrying down the hallway, he decided to ask her for directions.

"Excuse me, miss?" He walked towards her. The nurse turned around and her eyes got wide.

"Oh Dr. Ramos, we've been looking everywhere for you!" She exclaimed happily.

"Wha-?" Spencer started to say as the nurse walked over and grabbed his wrist.

"What are you doing in that tuxedo? You need to change into your scrubs right away!" She started to drag him over to a door.

"I think you're mistaken. I'm not.." He was once again cut off as she opened the door and pushed him into a room.

"Whoa!" Spencer had to catch himself before he fell to the ground. When he looked around he realized there were a couple of doctor's uniforms lined against the wall.

"Now you get changed and sterilize yourself." She looked down at her clipboard.

"But I'm not a doctor!" Spencer yelled out.

"We have no time for games Dr. Ramos, now get yourself ready. Mr. Dean has been waiting for his colonoscopy for over an hour." And with that the nurse slammed the door shut.

"What just happened?" Spencer asked himself as he stood in the empty room. "And isn't a colonoscopy when.." Spencer's eyes got wide. "NO WAY I'M BEING FORCED TO SHOVE A TUBE UP THERE." He opened the door quickly and poked his head out of the room. When he saw that the coast was clear, he bolted down the hallway. As soon as he rounded the corner, he stopped to catch his breath. Spencer then looked up and inspected the hallway. There were two nurses walking past each other and a big burly janitor mopping the floor. _'Think I'll try the janitor..'_ Spencer decided, not wanting to talk to a nurse again. "Excuse me sir!" He started to walk towards him. The janitor stopped mopping and looked up.

"Yeah?" The man asked in a deep voice.

"I was wondering if you could direct me to the nursery." Spencer asked.

"Sure, you just go down this hallway, take a left, and..." He stopped talking as he looked back at Spencer. "Hey, you look familiar....do I know you?"

"Huh?" Spencer was confused. He had never seen this man before in his life. "I don't think so.."

"Yeah, yeah." The man rubbed his chin as he spoke. "I know who you are! You're that Dr. Ramos creep!" The janitor angrily spoke as he held up his mop.

"Whoa buddy, I have no idea what you're talking about, and I'm not.." Spencer was cut off.

"YOU GAVE MY SISTER SOME HORRIBLE PLASTIC SURGERY. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY CALL HER NOW?" He asked angrily as he crept towards to him.

"Um, if she looks anything like you.....they call her handsome?" Spencer squeaked out.

"NO! THEY CALL HER RHINO FACE. YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HER!" The janitor started to run towards him, holding the mop up as a weapon.

"AHHH!" Spencer started to run away. The janitor was just about to grab him when he slipped and fell on the wet floor.

"OW!" He yelled out as he fell on his back. Spencer stopped running away and looked back at him. He then glanced over to his left and saw a yellow wet floor sign.

"Here. You might want to set this up." Spencer grabbed the sign and placed it next to the fallen janitor.

"WHEN I GET UP, YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!" The man yelled out.

"Eep!" Spencer quickly turned on his heel and resumed running away.

"THAT'S RIGHT, KEEP RUNNIN." The man's voice got lower in the distance as Spencer rounded yet another corner.

"What is with this place?!" Spencer asked himself. He then took a deep breath. "Well at least I made some progress.." He recalled, remembering the janitor told him to take a left at this corner. "But I still have no idea where to go from here." He then looked around and saw various hospital workers. "And I'm too scared to ask anyone else."

* * *

During this time, Socko and Taylor were walking down another hallway. Socko was dressed in a red t-shirt and black jeans. The thing that stood out most on him was that his pant legs were rolled up to reveal brightly colored socks, his trademark. There were also a few random socks stuffed into his pockets, some dangling out. Taylor on the other hand, was a bit more neat. He was dressed in a sleek black tuxedo. He wore a dark red vest and white collared shirt underneath the black jacket. The two brothers stood out and clashed horribly with each other.

"I can't believe you!" Socko yelled out in frustration.

"What?" Taylor asked innocently, chewing on a muffin in his hand.

"What, you say? WHAT? I'LL TELL YOU WHAT!" Socko held out his pointer. "First you get us lost." He then held up another finger. "Second, you make goo goo eyes at the nurses." Another finger went up. "Third, you get us chased out of the nursery." Socko's fourth finger went up. "And lastly, YOU STEAL A MUFFIN FROM A SICK PERSON'S FOOD TRAY!" Socko turned towards his brother and slapped the muffin out of his hand.

"Hey! I was eating that!" Taylor exclaimed.

"THE GUY WAS IN A FULL BODY CAST FOR CRIPES SAKES!" Socko yelled. "THAT MUFFIN WAS PROBABLY THE ONLY THING HE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO FOR WEEKS."

"Yeah well, no one's going to enjoy it now." Taylor huffed, looking sadly at the dirty muffin on the floor. Socko grabbed at his own hair in frustration.

"SICK! YOU MAKE ME SICK!"

"Good thing we're in a hospital then, huh?" Taylor nudged him playfully. Socko rolled his eyes and grabbed him by the wrist.

"No more wasting time and goofing off! We gotta find Spencer!"

"Fine, fine!" Taylor responded. "Look I'll go ask for directions.." He started to walk off in the direction of the hottest nurse.

"Oh no you don't!" Socko grabbed him and pulled him back. "I'll do the asking!" He scanned the area and noticed a plump gruff woman sitting behind a desk. "Let's ask her."

"Let's not." Taylor responded as Socko grabbed his arm and started to drag him towards the desk.

"Um miss?" Socko asked as the woman looked up.

"Yeah?" Her voice came out gross and raspy, as if she smoked for three hundred years non-stop.

"We'd like directions to the emergency waiting room in the left wing please." Socko explained.

"Oh, ok, let me get you a map." She then let out a huge raspy cough, making Socko and Taylor cringe. "Scuse me, I'm a little phlegmy today." She snorted and spat into a garbage can on the floor. She then got up and walked over to a file cabinet.

"Nice pick." Taylor whispered to Socko.

"Shut up! At least I'm getting us a map." He replied as the woman made her way back over.

"Here sweetie, I circled the area for you." Socko flinched as some of her spit flecked onto his face. "There's the wing you want." She leaned closer to him. Hesitantly Socko looked at where her bony hunched finger pointed to.

"Thanks." He replied as she handed him the map.

"No problem, cutie." She winked at him and he shivered out of disgust. The two brothers turned around and walked away.

"Man, that was gross." Taylor replied.

"Tell me about it." Socko agreed. "Hey what's this?" He looked at the map and saw something else was written on the edge of it.

"That looks like.." Taylor's eyes widened in realization. "That's her..."

"Don't say it!" Socko yelled as his brother burst into laughter.

"That's her phone number! HAHAHAHAHA!" Taylor grabbed his sides.

"I said not to say it." Socko grumbled.

"Well look on the bright side! Now we both have some hot dates." Taylor laughed.

"Shut up." Socko shot a look of death at him before looking back down at the map in his hands. "Now according to this, we have to take a right here.."

"Your right or my right?" Taylor asked. Socko turned around and thumped him on the head. "OW! Hey! What was that for?!"

"That was for being stupid! Now follow me." Socko started to walk away, holding the map between his hands.

"Mrrmmmlosermmmjerkmmrassm..." Taylor mumbled as he followed his brother down the hallway.

* * *

Meanwhile Carly and Freddie had been sitting in silence for roughly ten minutes. They had both started to calm down and relax. Carly looked up at the clock on the wall and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Freddie asked.

"Oh nothing. I'm just wondering when Spencer's going to get back."

"Yeah, he's been gone for a while." Freddie agreed.

"I wonder where he is..." Carly thought out loud.

* * *

"I'M NOT DR. RAMOS." Spencer yelled out as he ran down the hallway. Apparently a bunch of little kids from the children's recovery room were chasing after him.

"This is for breaking my dinosaur toy!" A little boy hurled a broken dinosaur leg at Spencer.

"OW!" The plastic limb hit him in the back of the head and fell to the floor. Spencer rubbed his now sore head. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG GUY!" He yelled to the angry mob of children.

"Get him!" A five year old girl screamed out. The kids continued their chase as Spencer once again ducked around a corner. He knew they were gaining on him as he heard the stampede of little feet getting closer. Looking around for an escape, Spencer noticed a door, opened it, and ran into the room. He quickly shut it and peered out the window. In a blur of bright colors, the little kids ran past the doorway and continued down the hallway, looking for vengeance. "Whew." Spencer let out a breath of relief.

"Hey, that you nurse?" A man's voice asked. Spencer turned around and noticed there was a patient behind a curtain talking to him. He could see the silhouette of the man behind it, and realized he was quite large.

"Uh, yes?" Spencer asked in a girly voice.

"Good, I'm ready for my sponge bath." The man replied as his shadow could be seen removing his gown.

"Oh my god!" Spencer yelled as he ran out of the room with a hand over his mouth. He was now back in the hallway. "That's it! Socko and Taylor can find their own way to the emergency room area! I'm going back!" Spencer decided as he ran back down the hallway, fearing he'd meet up with the nurse, janitor, or mob of kids again. As soon as he got around the corner though, he smacked into someone. They both went flying to the ground.

"I'm so sorry, I..." Spencer looked down and realized he was on top of Socko. He looked up and saw Taylor was standing there, just staring down at them. "Hey guys!"

"Hi...Spence..." Socko groaned.

"Are you ok? You seem to be in pain." Spencer asked worriedly.

"Maybe it's because your knee is in his..." Taylor pointed down and Spencer looked where his knee was.

"OH GOSH! Sorry!" Spencer got off his friend quickly.

"S'alright.." Socko croaked out as he put his hands between his legs and rolled to his side on the floor.

"So Spencer, what were you running from?" Taylor asked as he helped him up, completely ignoring his brother laying in pain on the floor.

"What WASN'T I running from!" Spencer exclaimed.

_"Oh that's ok, I'm just fine down here.." _Socko mumbled out.

"Sorry!" Spencer walked over and helped him off the floor.

"Thanks." Socko replied as he stood up. "So really, what had you so razzed? You came running around that corner as if you were on fire!"

"The nutbags here keep mistaking me for this Dr. Ramos guy!" Spencer explained.

"Dr. Ramos?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah! Apparently this doctor has a really bad reputation. People keep wanting to beat me up because they think I'm him!"

"That's weird." Socko replied.

"Tell me about it." Spencer rubbed his head. "I think I even heard a seven year old girl mumble a death threat to me."

"Yikes." The two brothers responded together.

"Anyways, let's head down to the emergency room. I've kept Carly and Freddie waiting long enough." Spencer replied as he looked around. "Though I'm not quite sure I know where we are." In all of the confusion, he had run around the hospital so much that he had become lost himself.

"We could always ask directions." Taylor stated, glancing over at a pretty nurse in the corner. She gave him a sly smile as he winked at her.

"NO WAY! I WILL NOT ASK ANYONE HERE FOR DIRECTIONS EVER AGAIN." Spencer crossed his arms.

"Don't worry!" Socko smiled as he held up a piece of paper. "I've got a map."

* * *

**Seems as though the guys have no luck in a hospital! Well except for Taylor. He got a cute nurse's phone number and a muffin. ;) Spencer got a whack to the head and Socko got a knee to the groin. xD**

**Also, I'm writing this story as I go, so I can't confirm this yet, but I think in the next chapter I'll get to the part where Sam is wheeled in for surgery! As always, I love your reviews! Please tell me if you like how the story is going!**


	16. Fever Goes Down

**I was so excited to read all the wonderful comments about the last chapter! I'm very happy that many of you thought it was hilarious! I had fun writing it! I'm glad I was able to put the humor aspect back with Socko and Taylor into this otherwise dramatic and intense story. All of that drama was tiring me out haha. Here's some more silly antics!

* * *

**

Spencer was standing in the middle of the hallway holding the map out. Taylor was on his left side and Socko was on his right. They were both leaning over his shoulders to take a look at the map.

"I think we make a left here." Taylor mumbled as he pointed to a hallway.

"No no, we just came from there." Socko replied. "We have to take a right and go down this way." He pointed to another hallway.

"Nah, I think you're wrong, because if you keep going that way you end up at a fire exit." Taylor reached over Spencer's shoulder once more. "We definitely have to go this way."

"What?" Socko asked in disbelief. "That leads you back to the front doors!"

"No it doesn't." Taylor replied.

"Yes it does!" Socko pointed to an area that was labeled 'front doors'. "You're leading us the wrong way!"

"No I'm not, you are!" Taylor shot back.

"Oh yeah? If you're not leading us the wrong way, then why are we still not at the emergency room yet?" Socko yelled.

"Look, you want me to get us to the emergency room? Fine! We'll go back to the main doors, walk out of the building, beat you over the head with a rock, and then call an ambulance to take us there!" Taylor spat at him.

"You think that's funny?" Socko asked.

"Yeah!" Taylor replied. As the men continued to argue, Spencer just stood in place, gripping the map. His knuckles had become white in frustration as he scrunched up the sides of the map. He finally had it.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Spencer yelled out. Taylor and Socko stopped their bickering and looked over at him in surprise. "I WILL LEAD THE WAY. YOU TWO BE QUIET AND FOLLOW ME." Spencer angrily stomped away from them. Taylor and Socko glared at each other.

"You _were_ going the wrong way.." Socko mumbled under his breath.

"No I wasn't.." Taylor whispered. They both followed Spencer down the hall quietly as if they were children who just got yelled at by their mother.

* * *

"According to the map, the emergency room should be right around this corner..." Spencer spoke as he looked down at the map. Sure enough as the three guys walked around the corner, they were met up with a red sign that stated "Emergency Room". Spencer turned around and held a look of triumph. "See? What I'd tell ya?"

"Ok ok!" Taylor held his hands up in defeat.

"We now know who the master of the map is." Socko pretended to bow to him.

"Darn right!" Spencer replied, rolling up the map and shoving it in his back pocket. He then led the brothers towards the waiting area.

"Carly!" Spencer called out as he saw his little sister sitting alongside Freddie. She looked up and smiled as she saw him, happy to see he made his way back.

"Spencer!" Carly and Freddie both got up from their seats. "Where were you?" She asked.

"We ran into a bit of trouble and got lost." He explained. Carly just gave a look of knowing over to Freddie, and he smiled back. They both guessed that her brother would get lost and unsurprisingly, they were right.

"But don't worry. The map master got us here." Taylor slung an arm over his Spencer's shoulder.

"Hey Socko, hey Taylor!" Carly exclaimed with a smile.

"Hey there, little girl!" Socko replied. She ran over and gave gave him a small hug.

"What's up Car-lay!" Taylor held his hand up for a high five.

"I'm so glad to see you guys." She exclaimed happily, returning it. "This is my friend Freddie." Carly pointed to him.

"Hey, it's camera dude from iCarly." Taylor stated.

"Nice to meet you camera dude." Socko replied.

"Nice to meet you too." Freddie smiled back.

"Alright!" Spencer clapped his hands together. "Now that we're all together, we have to get down to business."

"Roger that!" Taylor replied.

"Aye Aye Captain!" Socko stood up straight. The two brothers put there hands to their head in a salute.

"Good, now we need you guys to track down Sam's mom." Spencer started off. "We don't really have much to go on, but I do have a photo of her for you guys to take." Spencer reached into his tuxedo pocket and pulled it out. "Here." He handed it Socko. "You need to be careful with that though. It's the only copy."

"Will do!" Socko confirmed, taking a hold of the photo gently.

"Also, I have a phone number here." Spencer pulled up the sleeve of his jacket to reveal a bunch of numbers written on his arm in pen. "It's the clinic her mom goes to."

"Huh? Where'd you get the number?" Carly asked as she eyed her brother's arm.

"I found it on the refrigerator in Sam's house when you went upstairs."

"Oh.." Carly replied. "Good idea."

"Thanks." Spencer smiled.

"Here, let me see that." Taylor walked over to Spencer's arm. He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from his tuxedo pocket and started to jot it down. As soon as he finished he placed the piece of paper back into his breast pocket. "Got it."

"Great." Spencer replied, pulling his sleeve back down.

"Do you have any other information for us before we go?" Socko asked.

"Oh yeah." Carly spoke up. "Her name is Sandra Puckett."

"Sandra Puckett..." Taylor repeated, committing it to memory. "Alrighty, thanks!"

"Now you guys get going!" Spencer replied. "The surgery's only supposed to last for a few hours and we really want to try and get her mother here for her when she wakes up."

"We'll do our best!" Socko replied.

"Thanks guys, I really appreciate this." Spencer then looked at Carly and Freddie. "We all do."

"Hey no problem! Anything for the iCarlies." Taylor winked. He then looked over at his brother. "Let's get going!"

"Right!" Socko agreed and they started to walk towards an exit. "Oh wait!" Socko turned around and walked back towards the gang.

"Huh? What is it?" Spencer asked.

"This." Socko reached into his pocket and pulled out a bunch of socks. He dug through them and found the matching pair he was looking for. "Here." He held them up to show them the design. They were light blue and had brown fried chicken legs on them. When he pressed a button, the drumsticks lighted up. "These are for Sam." He smiled.

"Wow! They're perfect!" Carly remarked. "She'll love them!" She replied as Socko handed them to her.

"Definitely." Freddie smiled. "Fried chicken in sock form. I don't think we could of found a better gift!"

"Just make sure she doesn't eat them." Socko winked, having heard stories of Sam's monstrous appetite. "Alright, now we can go!" He looked over at his brother.

"See ya later guys!" Taylor waved.

"Bye!" Spencer replied as they all waved to the brothers before they rounded a corner and disappeared out of sight.

"You've got some cool friends." Freddie looked over at Spencer.

"Yeah, they're wacky, but they come through in a pinch." He smiled.

"Just like you." Carly nudged her brother who laughed.

"So...you guys doing alright?" He asked as they looked up at him. "When I left you alone I mean."

"Oh uh yeah." Carly replied. "We just sat here and waited." She decided to leave out the part where Freddie and she had a small breakdown.

"And no news?" Spencer asked.

"No." Freddie replied quietly.

"Alright, well let's just sit down then." Spencer motioned towards the chairs.

"Ok." Carly agreed as she sat down next to her brother and Freddie sat on her other side.

* * *

"Mmm..." Sam mumbled as she tilted her head to the side. She tried to open her eyes but noticed that any amount of light seemed to make them hurt, as usual. After pausing for a moment, she finally cracked them open. She looked around and noticed she was still in the waiting room for surgery.

_'The last thing I remember was talking to Carly..'_ Sam thought to herself as sadness started to well up in her chest when she noticed she was alone. _'I wish she was here.' _

"Samantha?" A woman's voice gently asked.

"Huh?" Sam tilted her head to look at who was speaking to her. At first she blinked a few times to make sure her eyes weren't going batty. After a few moments she confirmed that she wasn't. Mrs. Benson was indeed standing next to her, holding a clipboard, dressed up as a nurse, and looking down at her. "Mrs. Benson?" Sam asked awkwardly.

"Yes it's me." She replied.

"What? How--?" Sam wasn't sure what was going on.

"I've been assigned as your nurse." She explained calmly.

"My nurse?" Sam asked.

"Yes, the hospital needed some extra help, so I volunteered to work today as long as I was assigned to you." Mrs. Benson smiled.

"Really? Uh...thanks." Sam replied. Under normal circumstances, she would of freaked out if she had to spend any time with Freddie's crazy mother, but a familiar face was something she desperately needed right now, and she appreciated Mrs. Benson being there for her.

"No problem honey." Mrs. Benson turned around and started to do something on a shelf next to her gurney.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked quietly, not being able to tilt her head around and see what she was doing. She watched as the woman turned around with something long and pointy looking. Sam's eyes widened. "That' not a needle is it?!"

"No no!" Mrs. Benson quickly replied, hearing the fear in her voice. "It's a thermometer, to check your temperature. Can you open your mouth?" Sam eyed the woman curiously before slowly opening her mouth. Mrs. Benson gently slipped it under her tongue. "Hold it there for a moment." She replied as she looked at a watch on her wrist. Sam nodded in compliance. The two sat in silence for a minute when Mrs. Benson finally took it out. Sam licked her mouth trying to get rid of the taste as she watched Freddie's mom read the results.

"Hmm......99.8." She read out loud. "That's a lot better than what you started off with."

"What did I start off with?" Sam asked.

"You were at around 103 when you arrived."

"Really?" Sam asked. "That's bad."

"Yeah, but since your temperature's going back down, you'll most likely be prepped for surgery soon." Mrs. Benson explained as she watched Sam gulp in fear. "But don't worry. You'll be sedated and put on anesthesia."

"I'll be knocked out?" Sam asked.

"Yup. You'll hardly remember a thing." Mrs. Benson confirmed.

"That's good.." Sam replied looking away. She felt so tired already that it was hard to feel scared about surgery now. It just took too much out of her to keep worrying. With a small sigh, she looked up at Mrs. Benson. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." She replied kindly.

"How are Carly and Freddie?"

"They're worried about you." Mrs. Benson started off. "But I think they can handle waiting a few short hours. Right now they're sitting in the waiting room."

"Oh, ok, thanks." Sam responded. She couldn't describe the amount of appreciation and comfort she felt knowing that her friends were in the same building, willing to sit and wait there for her.

"Now I'm going to go out and tell the doctor about your temperature." Mrs. Benson started to explain. "I'll also update the kids on what's going on. Is there anything you want me to tell Freddie and Carly?"

"Uh.." Sam started to think for a moment. There were tons of things she wanted to say to her friends, but was too wiped out to think of anything meaningful. Plus she did manage to get all the major emotional stuff out to Carly. "Tell them I said hi." Sam smiled.

"Will do." Mrs. Benson returned a small smile and started to walk away. Sam watched her leave and laid her head back into her pillow and sighed.

_'I hope that annaseethiacologist gets here quick.'_ She thought to herself, not trying or caring to pronounce it correctly. _'The sooner I get knocked out, the better..'_

_

* * *

_Spencer, Carly, and Freddie had been sitting in the waiting room for roughly fourteen minutes since Socko and Taylor left when Freddie noticed his mother coming out of the doors.

"Hey, it's my mom!" He pointed excitedly as she started to walk over to them. All three of them jumped up from their seats and walked over to her.

"Do you have any news?" Spencer asked.

"How is she?" Carly added.

"Well her temperature has gone down." Mrs. Benson started off. "I told the doctor and he believes that we should get her prepped for surgery now."

"Prepped?" Freddie asked.

"We're going to sedate her and have her put on anesthesia." She explained.

"Ok." Spencer replied, happy things were starting to go smoothly.

"How was Sam though?" Carly asked, remembering that she left her best friend in a sad note.

"She's good." Mrs. Benson replied. "She was aware of what I told her. She even asked how you guys were doing."

"Really?" Freddie asked.

"Yup." Mrs. Benson smiled. "She also told me to tell you she says hi." Carly and Freddie looked over at each other and smiled, glad to hear that Sam's mood seemed to be lightening up.

"Now I'm going to have to go back soon. The anesthesiologist is getting the equipment ready. I won't be able to update you for a while as I'll be in the OR with them to record the procedure."

"Ok, we understand." Spencer answered.

"We will be wheeling her into surgery shortly once we get her properly sedated." Mrs. Benson explained what was going to happen. "Once in the OR, Dr. Smith will work on her and soon enough the surgery will be done. " She smiled towards the kids.

"Great, and all we have to do is sit and..." Spencer's eyes widened for a moment. "Wait! Mrs. Benson, who will in the operating room with her?"

"Well there is Dr. Smith, the anesthesiologist, and..." Mrs. Benson flipped through her clipboard trying to find names of the crew that would be in there.

"I just need to know one thing." Spencer replied. "Is a guy named Dr. Ramos going to be working on her as well?"

Mrs. Benson looked through her papers. "No there isn't." She confirmed.

"Thank goodness." Spencer replied. Carly looked at him oddly.

"Why?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"Long story!" Spencer mumbled to his sister.

"Uh ok.." Carly decided to let it go.

"I'm going to go back to Samantha now. Is there anything you'd like me to tell her before she gets sedated?" Mrs. Benson asked. Carly and Freddie thought for a moment.

"Tell her we'll be right here when she gets back." Freddie replied.

"And that we say hi." Carly smiled, returning the hello her best friend had sent her.

"Alright, I will." Mrs. Benson smiled. She then turned around and walked back towards the door. Carly looked over at Freddie.

"Your mom is awesome." She smiled, appreciative she got one last chance to send Sam a message.

* * *

**Things are starting to pick up now!**

**Also, I chose the name Sandra for Sam's mom because it just seems like a good name. Sandra and Sam Puckett. xP If the writers ever state Sam's mom's name in the series, I'll come back and edit this story. But for now, I pick Sandra. Hope you like it. :P**


	17. History Lesson

Mrs. Benson had just told the kids that Sam was going into surgery soon. As soon as she walked away, Carly turned towards Freddie.

"Your mom is awesome." She smiled, appreciative she got one last chance to send Sam a message.

"Yeah, she's really in her element here huh?" Freddie agreed. "She hasn't done one psycho crazy thing yet!" He smiled as Carly laughed.

"Well alright you guys!" Spencer started off looking at the clock on the wall. "We've got roughly two hours to wait out." He stated. "How about you two sit down while I rustle us up some magazines?" He knew that giving them something to read would help them take their minds off of the situation.

"Ok." Carly replied.

"Sound good." Freddie added. The two kids walked back over to their seats. Spencer looked over and spotted a magazine rack on the wall. He walked over to it and scanned the various titles, noticing there was a little bit for everyone. He picked out a computer magazine for Freddie, a teen girl one for Carly, and an artsy looking issue for him. As he walked back to his seat, he saw that the magazines were pretty beat up. The art one didn't even have a cover. _'Typical waiting room condition..'_ He thought as he made his way back over and sat down next to Carly. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Carly replied as she passed the computer magazine over to Freddie.

"Hmm.. Modern Computers..." Freddie read the title out loud. "Good pick Spencer." He gave an a-ok to the magazine and opened it up.

"Teen Scene..." Carly looked at her own magazine. She gave a small smile to her brother. "It'll do." She laughed. He smiled back.

"Well, take a look at mine." He held up his own reading material which lacked a cover page.

"Looks pretty beat up." Carly replied.

"Yeah, but look at this." Spencer flipped to the next page. "It's got a bunch of paintings and sculptures and stuff on it." He remarked happily.

"Perfect for you." Carly replied.

"Yeah, right?!" Spencer responded. Carly just smiled back at him and opened her magazine and started to skim through it.

* * *

During this time Sam had been waiting impatiently for Mrs. Benson to return. Her head felt light and heavy at the same time and she just wanted to go back to sleep. Unfortunately her body's nerves were so shot about the surgery that she couldn't drift back into unconsciousness.

_'When is she going to come back?'_ Sam thought sadly as she glanced up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and tried to relax for the moment. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there for with her eyes shut, but she felt a light tap on her shoulder that pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" Sam lazily opened her eyes to see Mrs. Benson staring down at her with a woman standing next to her. Both were dressed up in scrubs.

"Hi honey." Mrs. Benson gently responded. "We're going to get you ready for surgery now. This is the anesthesiologist." Mrs. Benson introduced her as the other woman waved hello. Sam gulped, feeling her throat become dry. She watched the anesthesiologist start to set up some sort of equipment on the side. "But before we knock you out, Carly and Freddie wanted me to tell you something." Mrs. Benson explained.

"They do?" Sam asked, perking up. Once she heard the names of her friends, her fear vanished for the moment.

"Yes." She replied. "Freddie wanted you to know that they're going to be right there when you wake up."

"Really?" Sam asked. Mrs. Benson nodded yes to her.

"And Carly wanted me to tell you that she says hi." Mrs. Benson stated softly. She watched as Sam smiled up at her. It was obvious that these simple statements from her friends eased a lot of the worry from her mind.

"Ok, I'm all set." The anesthesiologist replied from the corner. Sam looked over at her as she brought a mask towards her mouth. "Now I want you to count back from 10." She explained as she placed the mask over Sam's mouth and nose. "Can you do that for me?" Sam nodded weakly. "Alright, you may start." The anesthesiologist turned a nozzle on her equipment.

"10." Sam started off.

"9." Things started to get a bit hazy.

"8." It was getting harder to keep her eyes open. Just as she was about to get to seven, her mind skipped over.

"5." For some reason she heard Freddie's voice speak alongside her own.

"4." The two friends spoke in unison.

"3." Her eyelids began to shut as Freddie continued the countdown alone.

"2." Freddie's voice was the last thing she heard. He never made it to number one as everything went black.

* * *

Twenty minutes had passed as Carly, Freddie, and Spencer continued to read their magazines quietly. Carly broke the silence with a small laugh. The two guys looked up at her.

"What's funny?" Spencer asked. Carly looked over at them.

"Oh, nothing really. It's just that this magazine seems to be a bit ...dated."

"How so?" Spencer cocked an eyebrow.

"Well..." She flipped open to a certain page. "This article describes how to acid wash your jeans to get that radical and tubular look!" She then pointed to another article. "And this one gives you steps on how to feather and tease your hair with the proper hair spray techniques." She showed Freddie a picture of a girl with extremely enormous Madonna-like hair.

"Holy hair!" Freddie exclaimed. "Lemme guess, the 1980's?" He asked.

"1986 specifically." Carly replied.

"Yikes!" He replied. "But I think my magazine tops yours."

"Huh?" Carly asked. She watched as Freddie flipped back a few pages.

"In this issue of _'Modern Computers', _this article discuses the important technological advancement of a new data storage device....the floppy!" He pointed to a primitive picture of a huge floppy disk. It was the size of a record.

"That's a floppy disk?!" Carly asked. "That thing is as big as a pancake!" Freddie nodded his head.

"The first floppies were really big....in the 1970's!" He added. Carly gave a laugh.

"Ok, your's beat mine by a decade!" She gave in.

"Well mine tops both of yours!" Spencer exclaimed.

"Huh?" The two kids looked up at him. He opened his magazine to show a guy with long hair giving a peace sign with his right hand. In his left he held up a sign that had the statement "Make Love, Not War" painted on it with flowers.

"1968." Spencer replied proudly. "There's some funky designs in here. And there's even an order form in the back in which you can buy lead based paints in bulk." Spencer read out. Carly and Freddie laughed.

"Ok ok." Freddie replied.

"You win!" Carly added.

"Darn right." Spencer smiled in triumph.

"But wow, these magazines are pretty old." Freddie replied, flipping through his ancient computer literature.

"Well consider it a history lesson." Spencer replied.

"What's the lesson?" Carly asked.

"To be thankful that you weren't alive during the time of poisonous paint, slow computers and bad hair." Spencer smiled. Carly just rolled her eyes in humor.

"Some lesson." She replied.

"It works for me." Spencer laughed.

"Well I'm going to go see if there's something a bit more current up there." Carly replied as she set her magazine down. "You guys want another one?"

"Nah, I'm alright." Freddie replied. He realized it was actually kind of interesting to read about the stone age of computers.

"I'm good too." Spencer replied. "I wanna know more about this hippie lifestyle. They say they didn't bathe and just let mother nature run it's course instead." He mumbled out excitedly.

"Don't you even think about it." Carly responded flatly as she walked away. After a little while gazing at the magazine rack, she came back with another one. Freddie looked up as she returned.

"Find something new?" He asked.

"Newer. Not new." Carly replied. She showed him the cover.

"The Grunge Movement....Musical Choice or Dirtbags with Guitars?" Freddie read out the title. "That's a bit harsh.." He replied as he looked up at her.

"At least it's the 90's." She replied.

"We're getting closer." Freddie smiled.

"Hey! Look at this!" Spencer replied excitedly pointing to an article in his magazine.

"What?" Carly and Freddie looked over at him.

"These guys apparently bought a Volkswagen bus and drove across the country!" Spencer showed them an old picture of a bunch of hippies sitting around a psychedelic bus which had been painted in various colors, flowers, and peace signs. "That's so neat!" He replied looking down at the picture. "It says they dropped their jobs and girlfriends and just decided to drive down the highway, with no destination in sight."

"Am I going to have to take that away from you?" Carly pointed to the magazine her brother was holding. He was getting way too many ideas from it. Spencer tilted his head down sadly.

"No..." He mumbled.

"Good." She replied.

"But seriously, this picture inspires me." He looked at it once more.

"To drop everything and become a bum of the road?" Freddie laughed.

"Nooooo..." Spencer replied back snobbishly. "It inspires me to find one of those old buses and paint it. Sort of like an artistic tribute to the 60's."

"That's actually a cool idea." Carly smiled.

"Not cool." Spencer replied. "Groovy." He winked at her.

"Groovy." Carly corrected herself.

"Well I'm going to look for some more ideas!" Spencer replied excitedly, flipping through his magazine.

"Good luck with that." Carly smiled as she opened her own one. The three sat in silence once more as they continued reading.

* * *

By now an hour had passed, meaning they had a least another hour to wait. Carly and Freddie had placed their magazines aside on a small table and were now just staring off into space. Spencer was still reading his magazine from the love generation, obviously enjoying it. Carly gave a small sigh and Freddie looked over at her.

"Hm?" He asked, indicating he knew something was up.

"It's been an hour." Carly replied as she looked over at the clock on the wall. "I wonder how Sam's doing.."

"Me too." Freddie replied quietly. Spencer had looked up from his magazine and saw that the kids were starting to get depressed again. Just then Carly's stomach let out a small gurgle. She quickly put a hand over it to quiet it down.

"Hungry?" Spencer asked as he looked over at his sister.

"Yeah. I haven't eaten anything since before Sam and Freddie came over. And that feels like such long time ago." She replied sadly, remembering that it hadn't even been a full day yet. Spencer thought for a moment.

"You hungry too Freddie?" He asked.

"Um, I'm not starving, but I could go for a snack." He replied.

"Alright, hold on." Spencer stood up and dug his hand into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. "Why don't you take some money and go buy yourselves something to eat. I think there's a snack machine on this floor." Spencer retrieved a couple five dollar bills from his wallet and handed them to Carly.

"But what about Sam? What if they have some news..?" Carly started to ask.

"Look, I'll stay here. Hold down the fort and such. You and Freddie go and buy whatever you want, but stick together ok?" Spencer instructed as he sat back down. Carly looked over to Freddie.

"Sounds good to me." Freddie told her. They both stood up from their seats.

"Ok, we'll be right back." Carly replied. "Do you want anything?" She asked her brother. Spencer thought for a moment.

"If they have any type of gummy bears or something, I'll take em." He smiled.

"Ok, we'll try and find some." Freddie replied. They turned around and started to walk away before Spencer thought of something.

"Oh, wait!" He jumped up from his seat. "Take this!" He pulled out a crumpled rolled up piece of paper from his back pocket and handed it to his sister. Carly unrolled it and looked at it.

"A map?" She cocked her eyebrow as she looked at her brother. "I thought the snack machine was on the same floor?"

"Just incase you guys get lost." He added.

"I don't think we will." Carly replied.

"Yeah, only someone with no directional sense could get lost on..." Freddie's voice trailed off as Spencer glared at him. "Uh heheh, nevermind." Freddie replied. "We'll take the map."

"Good." Spencer smiled. "You may go now." He sat back down in his seat. Carly and Freddie gave a small laugh as they walked out of the waiting area and into the hallway.

* * *

**Alright, looks like Sam's surgery has begun! Now I obviously have no idea what the surgeons do in the operating room for an appendectomy, so unfortunately I'm going to leave that part out of the story. I don't normally like to leave out major parts, but I don't think I could justify writing a scene like that without the proper knowledge. So basically I'll just keep that part in Sam's perspective. So if she's knocked out, she won't have any clue on what happened there either lol!  
**

**Anyways, this chapter was a small one showing how Spencer is trying to occupy the kid's time. There's one detail in here though that will be used in the future, so this chapter does serve a purpose. ;)**

* * *


	18. Memory Gone

**Alright, I just wanted to say that I got a response from the person who had sent me the rude message before, and they apologized for acting in such a disrespectful manner. I'm not one to hold a grudge, and I realize that they were very remorseful in their apology. I guess everyone has a bad day sometime, and they apologized for taking out a bad mood on me when they didn't mean it. I've forgiven them, and even felt good enough about the resolve of the situation to update the story!**

**I just wanted to give all of my readers out there a thank you for your kinds words! I especially appreciate you guys understanding that it takes me time to write chapters! Luckily I have the next few planned out, but if I ever hit a block for a few days, it's nice knowing you guys are patient and wouldn't mind, so again, thank you for that!  
**

**(Also, I wanted to tell Invader Johnny and Random Dice that I received their messages in my inbox! I can't reply so I just wanted to give you a thanks here. :D I'm gonna try and sneak on another computer sometime and see if fanfiction. net works there so I can send a message back to guys.. xP)**

**

* * *

**Carly and Freddie just walked out of the emergency room waiting area and were now on their way to find a snack machine.

"Do you have any idea where it is?" Carly asked.

"No, I didn't see one when I came in. Though I probably wouldn't of even noticed one right in front of my face then.." He replied, remembering the urgency of the paramedics when they were wheeling Sam in.

"That's true." Carly looked around and noticed there was a doctor talking to a nurse, and another nurse walking down the hallway quietly. The one who was alone didn't seem to be busy or in a rush so Carly decided to ask her for directions. "Um miss?" She waved her down. The nurse turned around and watched as the two kids walked up to her.

"Do you happen to know where the snack machine is?" Carly asked.

"Hm? Oh, of course. Just make a right at the end of this hallway and you'll see it at the corner." The nurse explained.

"Thanks very much!" Carly replied.

"Yeah." Freddie nodded.

"You're welcome." The nurse smiled and resumed walking away.

"Wow, I don't understand how Spencer got lost.." Carly whispered into Freddie's ear. "The staff is so helpful here!"

* * *

Meanwhile Spencer continued to sit in his seat in the waiting area. He had just watched his sister and her friend leave as he placed his magazine down on the table. He leaned back and let out a huge sigh. Truth be told, he was just as worried as the kids but knew he had to stay strong for them. He was the adult here, and he was the one who had to keep a hold on the situation. But be that as it may, he still had his own emotions to deal with. Adults are human too.

_'Another hour to go..'_ Spencer thought as he looked over at the clock. Even in normal situations he wasn't a patient man, but this.... this was a million times worse. The time moved excruciatingly slower here. The magazines were a good diversion for a while, but he knew it wouldn't last and it didn't. At least he could get the kids preoccupied with a food run to waste some more time. Spencer did realize that he only had a short moment before they returned with their snacks though, so he tried to unload all of the emotional baggage in his mind for the time.

_'C'mon Sam...you gotta be alright.' _Spencer thought in his head worriedly. _'Without you, Carly would..' _He cut back his thoughts, starting to feel sick to his stomach. He didn't have to finish that sentence, knowing how much she meant to his sister. _'And I...'_ Sam meant a lot to him too. He stopped once more and sat up quickly and shaking his head, as if to physically clear his mind.

_'What am I worried about?'_ He gave a small laugh. _'I'm talking about SAM here. That girl isn't going to let some doctors push her around. Why, I could even see her waking up during surgery, yelling at the surgeons, and then grabbing a scalpel muttering she could do it herself.' _Spencer smiled as he pictured that scene. If that scenario was possible, Sam would of found a way.

_'The girl's strong....sometimes too strong.'_ Spencer remembered the time she had bet Freddie that she could pin Spencer to the ground within three seconds. It was obvious that Freddie lost that bet. _'But then again, an eight year old kid could pin me down, so that's not really a surprise..' _Spencer added, rubbing his chin.

_'Still, Sam's strong, but even strong people can become weak in the hospital..' _Spencer thought for a moment but stopped angrily. _'Darn! I have to quit thinking stuff like that!' _He sat forward and gave a few light smacks to his head. He knew physically beating himself up wasn't going to get rid of these thoughts, but at least it was something to do.

* * *

During this emotional time for Spencer, a little boy had been eyeing him from the corner of the room. Apparently he was watching a grown man in a tuxedo, groan, smile, look upset, and then start beating himself up. The little boy tugged on the sleeve of his mother.

"Mommy.." The boy looked up as she turned her attention towards him.

"Yes, honey?"

"What's with that man over there." He pointed at Spencer who was now fiddling around with his bow tie, trying to pull it off.

"Don't point. It's rude!" The mother explained to her son and then looked back at Spencer. "And make sure you don't go near that man. I think he's in the wrong wing." She whispered to her son. _'Looks like he should be in the psyche ward...'_ She thought before continuing the conversation her son had interrupted.

* * *

_'Gah! This stupid bow tie is killing me!'_ Spencer thought as he finally pulled it through his collar. After getting angry at himself for thinking negatively about Sam, he decided to attack it in frustration, as people tend to do with inanimate objects in times of worry. Luckily he only strangled himself for a few seconds before he removed it. "Guh.." He reached up to rub his neck as he threw the small black string-like accessory to the table alongside his magazine. _'Last I wear one of those stupid things...' _He then looked up at the clock and realized only three minutes have passed since Carly and Freddie left.

"OH C'MON!" He yelled out miserably to it. The little boy in the waiting room and his mother jumped. She grabbed onto him and held him away from Spencer.

* * *

"Now after we take this right, the snack machine should be.." Freddie spoke as the two rounded the corner.

"Right here!" Carly replied happily, seeing it.

"Nice. I'm glad it's not far from the waiting area." Freddie walked up to it.

"Me too." Carly replied as she pulled out the money her brother had given her. "So what do they have?"

"Um...let's see." Freddie ran his finger down it. "Typical stuff, like chips, candy, and gum." He replied.

"Any gummy bears?" Carly asked as she peered through the glass window.

"Nah I don't see any...oh wait!" Freddie replied spotting something. "There's gummy....Gums?" He asked as he read the package.

"Gums?" Carly asked.

"Yeah, look." Freddie pointed into the machine as she bent down to get a better look. Sure enough there was a candy called Gummy Gums which were in the shape of dentures.

"Kind of nasty." Carly replied as she stood up. "Chewing on teeth I mean."

"Yeah, but it's the only gummy thing." Freddie shrugged.

"Alright, one Gummy Gums for Spencer." Carly put a five dollar bill into the machine. She pressed the button combination and a pack of the gummy candies slid off the shelf and fell to the bottom. She bent down and retrieved them. The machine's money counter now read $4.50. "What do you want?" She asked Freddie.

"Uh.." He looked at the various items. "Cheese Itz?" He asked, knowing it was the Shay's money. He saw that the bag of cheese snacks were bigger and cost a dollar.

"Go for it." Carly smiled. He pressed the combo for his snack and pulled it out of the machine. Now the counter read $3.50.

"Your turn." Freddie backed away as he let Carly look for something to pick.

"Hmm.." She skimmed through the shelves when something caught her eye. It was a package of two pink frost covered cake balls. "I think I want the Fat Cakes.." She replied, looking up at Freddie.

"Fat Cakes? I always thought you said they were too unhealthy of a snack." He replied. "Plus isn't Sam the only one who..." His sentence trailed off as he paused and cleared his throat. "S-so you want the Fat Cakes?" He asked in a soft voice.

"Yeah." Carly replied quietly as she pressed in the button combination. She watched as the pink colored snacks fell to the bottom of the machine. The wrapper crinkled as she pulled it out from the trap door on the bottom. "I'm pretty hungry and Sam says they can be filling..." Carly replied gently, looking down at them in her hand. Freddie looked at his friend for a moment and then put a hand on her shoulder.

"If Sam says they're filling, then they MUST live up to their name." Freddie pointed to the word fat on the packaging. Carly looked over at him and smiled.

"Yeah. That's true." Carly laughed.

* * *

During this time, the anesthesiologist had successfully put her patient to sleep. From Sam's point of view, she had just finished hearing Freddie's voice count back from five. Then everything went black for the girl. For a few moments, her mind was hazy from the drugs, but it was active enough for her to realize she was just staring off into black space.

_'What the heck?'_ Sam thought as she looked around and saw nothing. Suddenly the blackness started to disappear. It began to reveal that she was standing in......the iCarly studio?

"Alright, iCarly time!" Freddie yelled out, holding up his camera happily. "In 5,4,3,2...." Sam cocked an eyebrow as he pointed towards her.

"I'm Carly!" Carly jumped up next to her. In all of this confusion, Sam was caught off guard by this and she fell backwards in surprise, not expecting her friend to pull a sneak attack on her. "Whoa Sam! Are you ok?" Carly's webshow perkiness was instantly shattered as she watched her best friend fall down for some unknown reason. She bent down next to her on the floor.

"Huh?! What's going on?!" Sam asked frantically as she looked around the room. It was obvious they were in the middle of an iCarly webshow as various displays and props were set up, but she had no idea how she got there. Carly looked over at her worriedly.

"Are you alright?" Carly asked as she helped lift her friend off the floor. As soon as Sam stood up, she just stared back at Carly as if she had mutated into a monster.

"How'd I get here?" Sam asked confused. Carly cocked her eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't remember anything." Sam replied, starting to look scared. Carly realized this and turned towards Freddie.

"Uh, we'll be back in a moment. But for now, enjoy this picture of a monkey in a diaper." Carly quickly replied. Freddie nodded as he set the camera down and pressed a button on his lap top. iCarly viewers everywhere were now looking at a picture of a baby monkey. Freddie then looked up from his equipment and gave Sam a suspicious glance.

"Is this one of your pranks?" He asked as he made his way over to the girls.

"What? No!" Sam replied.

"Are you sure?" Carly asked putting her hands on her hips, fully aware of her friend's enjoyment of pulling practical jokes on everyone. "Because, if you wanna pull a prank that's fine, but NOT during the webshow."

"Guys, I'm NOT kidding!" Sam explained weakly. "I have no idea what's going on!" Freddie and Carly exchanged an odd glance at each other.

"What do you mean you don't know what's going on?" Freddie asked. "We just had a last minute iCarly rehearsal before the show, and now we're currently DOING the show. Which I may reiterate, is happening RIGHT NOW." He stressed the fact that people all around the world were waiting for them to get back in front of the camera.

"Sam.." Carly started softly. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know! That's just it! I can't remember anything!" She replied pitifully.

"Did you bump your head when you fell?" Freddie asked.

"No." Sam replied, remembering she was quite confused before she fell backwards. Carly looked over at her and thought for a moment.

"I think we should cancel the show tonight."

"Really?" Freddie asked as he looked over at Sam. He was surprised to see that she didn't protest Carly's suggestion. It took a lot for Sam to not do a show, and even food poisoning hadn't stopped her from trying. He realized that Sam must of been truly freaked for whatever reason. "Alright." He finally replied, seeing the girls were firm in this opinion. He walked back over to his tech cart and started typing something in. "I'll let our viewers know that the show has been canceled. They'll get a written message on their screens." He spoke as he typed.

"Thanks." Carly replied. She then looked back over at her friend. "Wanna lay down?" She offered. Sam thought for a moment.

"Yeah, I guess so." She wasn't sure what was going on, but maybe she could figure it out if she was more relaxed.

"Alright, let's go downstairs." Carly walked over to the door and held it open for Sam.

"Thanks." She replied as she made her way out of the studio. Freddie had finished setting up the cancellation message and followed the girls.

"So, you really can't remember anything?" Carly asked worriedly as she walked alongside Sam. The two girls were now coming down the steps in the living room.

"No, it's weird." Sam replied.

"Yeah, I'll say. You were fine when we were starting the show and then..." Freddie's voice stopped talking.

"And then....what?" Sam asked as she turned around to look behind her. Her eyes widened when she saw he was gone. "Freddie?!" She asked worriedly. Sam quickly turned around to ask her best friend what happened to him when she realized Carly was gone too. "Huh?! Where'd you guys go?!" Sam asked frantically, looking around in every direction. They were nowhere to be seen. The blond girl started to feel fear rise up in her chest.

"What's going on?!" She yelled in a mixture of anger and panic to the now empty apartment.

* * *

**Hm, what is going on indeed? **


	19. Where In The World Is Sandra Puckett?

**So...before I start the next chapter... I just wanted to see if any of you guys were freaked out and depressed about Nathan Kress's message saying that iCarly was filming it's last season? I know I was.....but then Dan Schneider, the writer, twittered that Nathan was just joking. I must say, I was so relieved to hear that! So just incase any of my readers out there saw the Nathan video, but not the Dan tweet, don't worry! He said iCarly is continuing for a long time. ;) Now onto the story!  
**

* * *

Socko and Taylor were walking down the street, currently on their mission to track down Sam's mother, when Socko noticed something in a convenience store.

"Hey, waitaminute." He grabbed his brother's shoulder to stop him.

"What?" Taylor asked.

"They have a copy machine in there." Socko pointed to the large rectangular device visible behind the window.

"Yeah...so?" Taylor asked.

"This." Socko pulled out the picture of Sam's mom and held it up. "We can scan it and then split up. If we both have a picture things may go faster."

"Oh. That's actually a good idea." Taylor agreed.

"Thank you." Socko replied with a smile. The two brothers walked towards the store. As they opened the front door and passed through the doorway, a small beep went off, signaling that a customer has entered. Socko continued to walk towards the copier while Taylor stayed at the door.

"Hmm.." Taylor waved his hand through the doorway. The small beep rang out once more. "That's kind of fun." He put one foot outside of the store, earning another beep. By now the guy at the counter had looked up and groaned. He hated customers who were easily amused by his door system.

Meanwhile, Socko had made his way over to the copier and pushed the power button to start it up. "Hey, Taylor do you..." He trailed off, noticing he wasn't next to him. "Taylor?" Socko looked around for a second until he saw that his brother was still at the door, playing with the beep noise. "TAYLOR!" Socko yelled angrily as he stomped over towards him.

"Heh heh." Taylor waved his hand through the doorway again. The beep let out another pitiful sound, as if it were becoming tired. Taylor made another attempt to ring it, but was stopped as Socko grabbed the collar of his shirt and started to drag him away backwards. "HEY!" Taylor yelped out. As he was pulled away, a kid who was standing near the candy counter glanced over at the two men.

"Moron..." The kid muttered.

* * *

Socko had managed to pull his brother away from the door and over to the copy machine.

"You're a spoilsport." Taylor whined.

"And you have the attention span of a gnat!" Socko yelled in response.

"What's a gnat?"

"A little bug that lives for like only two months." Socko explained.

"Oh..." Taylor replied. "HEY!" He finally realized he was insulted.

"Enough!" Socko yelled back. "Let's copy this photo now." He spoke as he lifted the top up from the scanner.

"Fine.." Taylor moaned, crossing his arms in a huff and leaning against a shelf as he watched his brother work the machine.

* * *

The two brothers finally walked out of the convenience store, each holding a copy of the photo in their hands. Socko decided to make another copy for himself as he put the original one away, knowing it needed to be kept safe.

"Ok, I'm going to go check the bus stations, see if they have any record of Sam's mom and where she might of gone." Socko explained.

"And what do I do?" Taylor asked.

"You still have that phone number for the clinic?"

"Uh.." Taylor reached into the breast pocket of his tuxedo jacket. "Yup." He smiled, pulling it out.

"Call them to check and see if she was there recently."

"Will do!" Taylor replied.

"Alright, I'm gonna go to the bus station downtown first. Call me if you find out anything." Socko stated.

"Roger that." Taylor confirmed.

"See ya." Socko waved good bye as he walked off down the sidewalk. Taylor waved back then looked down at the phone number in his hand.

"Alrighty, let's call this clinic place." He pulled out his cellphone and flipped it open. After dialing the numbers, he put it to his ear and waited for someone to pick up. The phone rang three times before someone on the other end answered.

_**"Hello. Betty's Beauty Clinic. May I help you?"**_ A woman's voice spoke, unenthusiastically.

"Uh yes, I was wondering if a woman named Sandra Puckett is there?" Taylor asked.

_**"No she isn't."**_ The woman replied flatly.

"Well....could you go and check?" Taylor asked slowly, realizing the woman answered a little too quickly. It was obvious she didn't even bother to see if Sandra was there.

_**"Are you a cop?"**_ The woman asked suspiciously.

"What?!" Taylor asked in disbelief. "No I'm not!"

_**"Then why are you looking for this woman?" **_

"I'm trying to track her down because there's a family emergency. It's important I talk to her." Taylor replied.

_**"Hmmm..."**_ The woman paused for a moment on the line. Taylor listened as he heard her speak to someone else in the background. _**"Tony, I don't trust this guy. I think he may be with the Feds." **_Taylor cocked an eyebrow at such a wild accusation. He then heard a few scratching noises on the other end, signaling the phone was being handed over to someone else.

_**"Hello?"**_ A gruff man's voice now spoke in place of the irritated woman.

"Please! Can anyone tell me if Sandra Puckett is there or has been there recently?!" Taylor asked frantically, starting to get annoyed.

_**"No."**_ The man replied.

"Why not?!" Taylor grit his teeth in frustration.

_**"Customer confidentiality."**_ The man replied bluntly before hanging up. Taylor just stood there with the phone in his hand, his mouth open in shock.

"What just happened?" He asked himself, shutting his cellphone and shoving it in his pocket. _'Looks like I'm going to have to pay this Betty Beauty Clinic a visit.'_ He grumbled as he started to walk down the sidewalk.

* * *

During this time, Socko had made his way towards the bus station. He walked in and noticed there was a traveler service area in the corner. He decided that was a good place to start. As he walked up to the service counter, a small curly haired man in his late twenties sat at an open window. He had a nerdy appearance as big rimmed glasses slipped down his nose when he looked up. Pushing them up with his index finger, he smiled.

"Hello, can I help you?" The man sat behind a counter, resembling that of a bank teller. There were bars in front of him set up for safety.

'Yes." Socko replied. "I'm looking for someone and I was thinking that they might have ridden on one of your buses."

"Alright." The man turned in his chair and started typing on a computer. "May I ask who you're looking for?"

"Uh a woman named Sandra Puckett." Socko stated.

"Sandra Puckett you say?" He asked, turning back around towards Socko. "That name sounds familiar."

"Well, here's a picture if it helps." Socko pulled out the photo and handed it to the man through the bars. As he looked down at it, his eyes widened.

"You mean Sandra is one of _THE_ Pucketts?" He asked.

"Yes her last name is Puckett...why?" Socko replied slowly, unsure of his reaction.

"This woman hasn't been allowed in here since 1992." He replied, his attitude now serious instead of helpful as he handed the photo back.

"Uh..." Socko wasn't sure how to respond to that news.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The man pressed a red button underneath the counter.

"What? Why?!" Socko asked surprised.

"The entire staff has been warned to take any persons associated with the Pucketts and remove them from the building." The man explained calmly. Two security guards then appeared from out of nowhere, and stood next to Socko. "Now, will you leave quietly or be forced out?"

"You can't make me leave! I have a right as a Seattle civilian to..." Socko started to say in defense when he was interrupted.

"Gonna do this this hard way huh?" One of the security guards asked, cracking his knuckles. He then looked over at his partner. "Guy might have a weapon." He replied. The other security guard smiled.

"What?! I don't have a weap-AHH!" Socko was cut off as one of the guards grabbed by the back of the shirt and forced him against the wall. "Put your hands up against it!" The guard yelled.

"Eep!" Socko squeaked, doing as he was told.

"Pat him down." The guard instructed to his partner. That was when the other security guard started searching Socko down for a concealed weapon.

"THIS IS INTRUSIVE!" Socko yelled out the man's hands grazed against his body. As the guard continued, he noticed there was an object in the man's pockets.

"Looks like we got something." He reached in his and pulled out colorful clumps of clothing. "Huh?" The guard asked as his partner peered over. "It's just a bunch of....socks?" He asked.

"Those are mine!" Socko replied weakly.

"Let's get this looney out of here!" The security guard yelled.

"Sheesh, I'll leave myself, just let me go.....and give me back my socks!" Socko replied, holding his hands up. The guards looked at each other and shrugged, handing him back his footwear. Socko grumbled to himself as he turned around and left. As soon as he walked outside he shook his head, incredulously. "I wonder what in the world that woman did?" He thought.

* * *

Meanwhile, Taylor had finally found Betty's Beauty Clinic. It was unsurprisingly in a shady part of Seattle. As he walked in the door, he noticed that the place looked like a dump. Wallpaper was rolling away from the edges of the wall and various bits and pieces of garbage was scattered along the floor. There were a few sketchy looking people sitting in the worn and dirty chairs, waiting for their turn for whatever hellish work this clinic performed.

"Yech.." Taylor shook in disgust as he walked over to a woman in her late thirties sitting at the main desk flipping through a magazine.

"Can I help you?" She sighed, not bothering to remove her eyes from the pages. He instantly recognized her voice as the woman from the rude phone call.

"I don't know, can you?!" Taylor replied angrily. The woman looked up, disinterested.

"What crawled up your butt?" She muttered in monotone.

"Your attitude!" Taylor replied. "I'm the guy who called about Sandra Puckett." The woman looked him up and down.

"Hey Tony!" She yelled out. A door behind her opened to reveal a big brutish looking man. He slowly walked over to her.

"Yeah?" He asked, his voice deep.

"This is the guy who was on the phone earlier." She then leaned over to Tony and started to whisper in his ear. "Definitely FBI. Maybe even CIA. Look at the suit." Tony nodded his head in agreement.

"I am not from the FBI! Or the CIA!" Taylor yelled out. He then watched as everyone in the waiting area turned their attention towards him.

"FBI!" A woman screamed.

"CIA!" Another man yelled out. Soon everyone in the waiting room jumped up from their seats and bolted towards the front door. They piled out in a massive drove, leaving dust behind them. Taylor just stood there, shocked at how quick the place cleared out.

"Oh great, there goes our customers." The woman gave a small sigh.

"You chased away money." Tony looked back at Taylor and punched a fist into his hand.

"Whoa buddy! Take it easy!" Taylor held up his hands to shield himself. "I didn't mean it! Look, I just need to find Sandra Puckett. If you have any information on her, I'll leave as soon as you tell me." He spoke quickly.

"We don't know any Sandra Puckett." The woman replied as she elbowed Tony in the ribs.

"Huh? Oh, oh yeah! That's right. We don't." He agreed. Taylor wasn't convinced.

"You've never seen this woman before in your life?" He pulled out the photo from his pocket and showed it to the two people.

"Nope." The woman glanced at it and turned away. Tony shook his head no.

"Look!" Taylor slammed his hands down on the table. "I need to find her. Now have you guys seen her recently?"

"And why should we tell you anything?" Tony angrily spoke. Taylor gulped, pulling at the collar of his shirt, realizing he shouldn't yell as a guy who could snap him in half.

"L-listen..." Taylor softened his voice. "Her kid's in the hospital. I really need to get to her." Taylor replied, hoping the big guy had a gentle side. Luckily he did.

"Hospital?" Tony asked, his expression lightening up. The rude woman looked up at the two men, suddenly showing interest in the conversation.

"Who's in the hospital?" She asked.

"Sandra's daughter." Taylor replied.

"Sam?" The woman asked.

"Yeah." Taylor replied. His eyes then widened in realization, knowing the woman just blew her cover. "Wait, so you know Sandra then?" He asked watching as she looked over at Tony and gave a him a small sigh, signaling defeat.

"Yes. She comes in here about twice a month for various....work." She explained vaguely. "Why's Sam in the hospital?"

"Appendicitis. She's going in for surgery and we can't find her mom." Taylor explained, relieved that he was finally making some progress. The woman thought for a moment.

"Alright, I'll go check our records to see when Sandra last visited." She turned around and walked over to a shelf and pulled out a big appointment book. Meanwhile Taylor glanced over at Tony.

"Why are you guys willing to help me out now?" Taylor asked. He was glad they were, but was still confused about the sudden attitude change.

"We know the Pucketts. That Sam girl, well...she's a good egg. Tough, but a good egg." Tony replied. The woman turned around with the book open in her hands.

"Seems as though she was actually here last night. That was during Wendy's shift. Sandra might of told her where she was going. I know they talk about a lot of stuff during her visits." The woman replied.

"Is Wendy here right now?" Taylor asked.

"No." Tony answered.

"Is there anyway I can contact her?"

"Here's her cell phone number." The woman pointed towards a number in the book. Taylor took out the piece of paper from his pocket and wrote it down.

"Thanks." He replied. "I appreciate it."

"No problem." The woman replied, closing the book shut.

"Tell Sam we hope she feels better." Tony called out.

Taylor nodded towards the man. "I will." He then turned around and made his way out of the clinic. As he walked down the street, he looked down at Wendy's number in his hand and pulled out his cell phone to try and give her a call. _'Alright, that wasn't so bad.'_ He thought to himself, dialing the number. _'At least I didn't leave with a black eye.....or a gun shot wound.'

* * *

_

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Socko yelled angrily as he hung up his cell phone. He was sitting on a bus bench, utterly defeated. He had called a couple other bus stations in Seattle and was met with the same response. Sandra Puckett had been banned from using their services. "What in the world is up with this woman?" He thought out loud. There was one last bus station in Seattle.....and his last hope. He reluctantly opened his phone to start dialing the number when he was interrupted by an incoming call. The small screen read 'Taylor'. Socko pressed the accept button.

"Hey Taylor, what's up? Any leads?"

_**"I know where she is."**_ His brother spoke excitedly.

"Really?!" Socko asked.

**_"Yeah, this Wendy woman knew where she went."_** Taylor replied.

"Alright, well tell me already!" Socko replied, growing impatient.

_**"She's in Canada."**_

* * *

**What in the world is Sam's mom doing in Canada? Who knows. xP**

**I must say, I really enjoyed writing this chapter! Between the whole bus station scene and the beauty clinic, it was a lot of fun thinking up wacky and random situations for Socko and Taylor to go through! With the Pucketts, nothing is ever easy! xD**

**And don't worry! I'll get back to the iCarly gang in the next chapter! I just have a few scenes going on at the same time, and Socko and Taylor needed a chapter to show their progress! :P  
**


	20. Mother

* * *

**Ok, Invader Johnny pointed out a very good question about this story that I've been ignoring until now lol. He asked where Melanie has been. Well I want to tell you guys my reasoning for ignoring her. I started this story BEFORE iTwin, and before I knew Sam had a sister for sure. Now, one of the MAIN reasons I'm ignoring Melanie in this story is because if I do introduce her, Freddie will have to have some sort of reaction. I feel that this will detract from the main plotline too much and I don't want to go into that side story.**

**And lastly, the other main reason why I've ignored Melanie is because, I've had the idea for this story in my head before iTwin, and I've already had the general plotline thought out.....which didn't include her!**

**So, to sum it up, sorry Melanie fans! She doesn't exist currently for this story lol. It's just too distracting of a plotline and and I don't want to tackle that problem. xP**

* * *

"CANADA?!" Socko yelled into his phone.

_**"Vancouver specifically."**_ Taylor replied.

"Are you pulling my socks?" Socko asked.

_**"Nope, I'm dead serious. Wendy told me she went there to see if she could find a Canadian guy to go out with."**_

"She went all the way to Canada to get a date?" Socko asked in disbelief.

_**"Yup."**_ Taylor replied.

"I think this woman is nuttier than a granola bar.." Socko mumbled.

_**"I agree. Even I wouldn't go out of the country for a date. Out of state maybe...but she'd have to be really hot. And even then she'd have pay for half of the date and for my bus ride to get home.." **_Taylor started to ramble._**  
**_

"FOCUS!" Socko yelled to his brother before lowering his voice. "Do you know where she is exactly?"

_**"She's at some motel called 'Bacon and More Bacon Ay!'" **_Taylor explained.

"Sounds classy." Socko stated sarcastically.

_**"Yeah."**_ Taylor chuckled in response. _**"Wendy gave me a phone number to it."**_

"Great!" Socko replied. He then thought for a moment. "Listen, meet up with me back at the convenience store where we scanned the picture. We'll call her together." He knew his brother had a tendency to mess situations up, so he wanted to make sure he was around during the phone call.

_**"Got it brotha."**_ Taylor replied. _**"See ya in a bit."**_

"Bye!" Socko responded before they both hung up. He then got up off the bench and started to walk off in the direction of the convenience store. As he was walking along the sidewalk, he decided to give Spencer a ring to tell him what was up.

* * *

Spencer continued to sit lazily in his chair in the emergency room waiting area at the hospital. Carly and Freddie were still out getting their snacks, so he was patiently waiting for their return. He let out a tired sigh as he scratched the back of his neck. Just then he felt an odd sensation near his leg and jumped.

"Whoa!" He reached into his pocket and realized it was his cell phone on vibrate. It scared him for a moment. After shaking off the shock, Spencer looked at who was calling. He was happy to see Socko's name on it and flipped it open quickly.

"Hey Socks, what's up?" Spencer asked.

_**"We got a location on Sam's mom."**_ Socko replied.

"Really?!" Spencer perked up. "That's good news!"

_**"Well, it's kind of bittersweet."**_ Socko replied as Spencer cocked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

_**"Well, you see, her mom's kind of in Canada."**_ Socko started off slowly.

"Are you kidding me?" Spencer asked.

_**"Nope. She's in a motel in Vancouver."**_ Socko explained.

"Vancouver? But that's like..." Spencer paused for a moment as he calculated the distance. "....two or three hours from here. Sam was wheeled in for surgery about an hour ago. If anything, there's an hour left until she wakes up."

_**"I know. That's why it's bittersweet." **_Socko replied sullenly. _**"I don't think we can get her mom here in time."**_

"Aww man.." Spencer mumbled in disappointment.

_**"Look, I'm really sorry Spence..." **_Socko started to say.

"Hey, don't apologize! You did more than enough!" Spencer quickly reassured his friend. "We would of never tracked her down if it hadn't been for you and Taylor."

_**"Thanks bud."**_ Socko replied gratefully.

"No problem." Spencer added. "So, did you get to talk to her?"

_**"Not yet. Taylor and I split up to search and he has the number to the motel. I told him to hold off calling her until we meet up. He's liable to say something stupid." **_Socko explained. Spencer chuckled.

"Sounds right."

_**"Yeah, no kidding."**_ Socko replied. _**"But he was the one who found out she was in Canada, so I have to give him credit for that."**_

"True." Spencer smiled.

_**"Oh, hey I think I see Taylor now."**_ Socko's voice quickly replied. _**"Look, I'll call you back in a second alright?"**_

"Yeah sure!"

_**"Ok, talk to ya in a bit."**_ Socko then hung up his cell phone. Spencer looked down at his own cell and slipped it back into his pocket.

_'Alright, some good news and some bad news. We found Sam's mom, but she won't be able to make it back in time.......well at least we know where she is.' _Spencer let out a sigh. He really wished they could of gotten her to the hospital in time for Sam though. Spencer looked up at the clock once more and realized there was only 45 minutes left for the surgery if all went planned based on the two hour time frame the doctor gave them. As his eyes drifted away from the clock, he noticed Carly and Freddie walking towards him, snacks in hand.

"Hey guys, I've got some good news!" Spencer called out to them as they walked over.

"About Sam?!" Carly asked hopefully. Freddie looked up with concern as well.

"Huh? Oh uh, no.. No news about her yet!" Spencer quickly replied, feeling guilty for getting their hopes up like that.

"Then good news about what?" Freddie asked cautiously.

"Socko and Taylor found out where Sam's mom is." Spencer explained.

"Really?" Carly asked as she and Freddie set down their snacks and drinks on the table and sat down in their seats.

"Yeah, she's in Canada." Spencer replied.

"Canada?" Freddie asked. "What is she doing there?"

"I don't know." Spencer replied, forgetting to ask Socko about that.

"Isn't Canada a few hours away from here?" Carly thought out loud. "Is she going to make it back in time before Sam wakes up?" She watched as her brother looked down sadly.

"No...I don't think so." He started to say. "She's in Vancouver and that's at _least_ two hours away."

"And Sam went into surgery about an hour and fifteen minutes ago.." Freddie replied looking at the clock. "There's no way she can get back in time." The two kids looked down regrettably as if they had failed their friend.

"Look...." Spencer turned towards them and leaned forward in his seat. "Her mom might not be here when she wakes up, but you guys are. Sam's gonna need your support, so try and stay happy for her." Carly and Freddie looked up at him.

"You're right." Carly replied, her brother's words giving her renewed strength.

"We'll do our best to help out Sam." Freddie added. Spencer smiled as he watched their moods lighten up.

"That's the spirit! Also, Taylor and Socko are calling her right now. They'll tell her what's up." Spencer explained.

"Good." Carly replied until her eyes widened. "Oh wait!" Spencer looked over at her oddly.

"What?"

"I need to tell her something!" Carly remembered the last message she needed to deliver for her best friend.

* * *

Socko had just hung up on Spencer and was now walking towards his brother who was currently standing in front of the convenience store. "Hey!" He called out and ran up to him.

"Socks!" Taylor greeted.

"Got the number?" Socko asked as his brother held it up proudly.

"Yesiree!" He handed it over to Socko.

"Thanks." Socko whipped out his cell phone and started dialing. After a few tense moments of waiting, the other end picked up.

_**"Hello, this is the 'Bacon and More Bacon Ay' motel."**_ A female voice answered. _**"How may I help you?"**_

"We're looking for a woman named Sandra Puckett. Is she staying in a room there?" Socko asked.

_**"May I ask who is calling?"**_ She replied.

"Socko." He answered.

_**"Socko....?"**_ She waited for a last name.

"Just Socko." He confirmed. There was a pause on the other end, showing her uncertainty. "I'm a friend of the family." He quickly replied.

_**"Alright let me just check the computer..."**_ The woman replied. Socko and Taylor waited patiently as the other end went quiet for a moment. The lady finally answered. "_**Yes, we do have a Sandra Puckett currently staying here." **_Socko looked over at his brother and gave him a thumbs up.

"Great! Can I be connected to her room?"

_**"Hold for one moment please."**_ The lady's voice disappeared as the line went quiet. Soon it started to ring again.

"Alright, she's ringing her room." Socko whispered to his brother.

"Awesome!" Taylor replied. He watched as his brother waited for the line to pick up.

_**"Hello?"**_ A female voice finally answered.

"Sandra? Sandra Puckett?" Socko asked. The other end became quiet for a moment.

_**"Who is this?"**_ The woman replied suspiciously.

"It's Socko! A friend of Spencer's!" He replied quickly.

_**"Spencer Shay?"**_ The woman asked cautiously.

"Yes." Socko replied.

_**"Oh...yes, this is Sandra."**_ She finally admitted. _**"Why are you calling?"**_

"Look, your daughter Sam is in the hospital and.." Socko was cut off.

**_"Is this some kind of sick joke?!"_** Sandra's voice became frantic.

"No! Not at all! She's really ill! She has appendicitis and was admitted there earlier today. She's in surgery right now and you have to get back here." Socko tried to explain to her.

_**"How do I know you're not lying!? Where's Spencer?"**_ Sandra asked, wanting to speak to someone she knew. This news was shocking to her and she refused to believe her child was in a hospital until she spoke to a reliable source.

"What's going on?" Taylor asked quietly, noting the worry on his brother's face.

"She doesn't believe us." Socko whispered back before returning to the phone. "Look, Sandra? Spencer is at the hospital right now with Carly and Freddie. I can three way call him and get him on the line alright?" Socko listened as there was a pause on the other line.

**_"Alright."_** She accepted.

"Ok, hold on." Socko dialed Spencer to have him join the call.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the hospital, Spencer looked over at his sister. "What do you mean you have something to tell her?" He asked.

"Sam told me something really important to tell her mom and I..." Carly trailed off for a moment. "I just need to talk to her." Spencer noticed the concern on his sister's face.

"Alright, I'll call Socko back and.." Almost as if his friend knew, Spencer was interrupted by an incoming call. He pulled out his cell phone and looked down at it once more. "Hey, what do ya know? It's him." He flipped open his cell. "Socko?"

_**"Spence, bud, I have Sandra on the line."**_ Socko explained.

"Huh?"

_**"Three way calling! Look, I'll let you guys talk ok?"**_

"Ok!" Spencer replied as Socko became quiet so the two could talk. "Sandra?" He asked.

_**"Spencer?"**_ Sandra's voice questioned.

"Yeah it's me!" He replied, happy to hear her.

_**"So it's true then? About Sam?"**_ Sandra asked worriedly as she heard Spencer's familiar voice on the line.

"Yes, unfortunately." Spencer confirmed softly. "She's in surgery right now."

_**"Oh my god..."**_ Sandra whispered. **_"What happened?!"_**

"She had a stomachache and got sick over at our apartment so we took her to the hospital. The doctors said it was her appendix giving her trouble." Spencer explained. "Do you think you could drive over here?" Spencer asked her.

_**"Yes, of course."**_ She replied quickly.

"Great! Listen, I've got the kids with me and we're all sitting in the hospital's waiting room. We'll take care of everything until you arrive. The name of the hospital is Schneider's Medical Complex." Spencer explained as he heard rustling on the other line. It was obvious Sandra had started to pack her things.

_**"Thank you so much."**_ She replied, grateful her daughter had her friends there.

"No problem." Spencer replied. He then looked over and saw Carly's worried expression. "Oh yeah, and one last thing! Carly has to speak with you."

_**"She does? Alright." **_Sandra replied, still packing up. Spencer handed his sister the phone.

"Hello?" Carly's voice came out quiet.

_**"Hello, Carly?"**_ Sandra replied.

"Hi Ms. Puckett." Carly gently responded.

_**"Hi. Spencer said you had something to tell me?"**_ Sandra asked as Carly listened to her moving around her motel room gathering up her things. Carly paused for a moment and gulped.

"Y-yeah." She stuttered for a moment. Spencer and Freddie watched her worriedly from the side, noticing she was having a hard time getting her words out. "Sam told me.." Carly started off. She heard the random rustling in the background of the phone go quiet, signaling Sandra had stopped whatever she was doing as soon as she heard her daughter's name. "Sam told me to tell you she loves you." Carly finally finished. Freddie and Spencer's eyebrows went up in worry. It was very un-Sam like to hear such an emotional statement.

Carly sat still, holding the cell phone to her ear while waiting for a response. The line was quiet for a moment until she heard a noise in the background as if something was dropped. "Ms. Puckett?" She asked worriedly.

_**"Sam truly said that?"**_ Sandra finally answered.

"Yes." Carly replied. She was once again met with silence.

_**"T-thank you."**_ Sandra replied, her voice trembling. Carly could tell the woman was getting emotional. **_"If.....if I don't make it back in time, when the surgery finishes, can you tell her that I love her too? And that I'm sorry?"_** It was obvious this woman felt extremely guilty.

"Of course." Carly replied quietly. She listened as Sandra let out a deep breath on the other end.

_**"Thank you Carly. Alright, well I better get going.."**_ She stated quickly, trying to regain her composure after hearing such a sad and meaningful message from her daughter.

"I understand." Carly replied.

_**"Tell Spencer thanks....."**_ She added and thought for a moment. _**"Freddie's there too right?" **_

"Yes, he is." Carly confirmed.

_**"Tell him thanks as well."**_

"I will." Carly replied.

_**"Thank you! Good bye."**_ Sandra responded before hanging up her line.

"Bye.." Carly stated softly. She then handed her brother back the cell phone. "She told me to thank you guys." Carly motioned to the two of them. "And then she hung up."

"Ok little sis." Spencer replied, gently patting Carly on the shoulder as he put the phone to his ear. "Socks, you still there?"

_**"Yup." **_Socko answered.

"Alright.." As Spencer continued on finishing the call with his friend, Freddie glanced over at Carly. She became quiet and stared down at the floor.

"Hey, you ok?" Freddie put his hand on her shoulder.

"I think she was starting to cry." Carly whispered gently. Freddie looked confused for a moment.

"Huh?"

"I think her mom started to cry." Carly looked up at him with sad eyes.

"Oh...wow..." Freddie replied softly. If there was one thing Sam got from her mother, it was her tough attitude. To hear that Sandra Puckett had started crying, it meant that she was pretty scared for her daughter. Freddie watched as Carly looked down at the floor once more. "Well..." He started to say. "She's on her way now, so everything's going to be alright." Freddie gave her a small smile as she looked up at him.

Carly took a deep breath and smiled back at him. "You always know what to say."

* * *

**Ok, this chapter was pretty hard to write! Now I know iCarly is a comedy, so all of the wacky stuff Sam's mom does in the show is of course for humor purposes, but it really isn't legal or appropriate in reality (obviously!). Anyways, I've been trying my best to keep this story balanced with both the humor of the iCarly world, and the drama of the real word. Now while balancing that out, I figured that, even though Sam's mom is irresponsible and left her daughter to go to Canada, she would still care about her Sam's health and safety if she was in the hospital.  
**

**So basically to sum it up, I don't want to turn this story into a 'bad mother, horrible person' real life story. Like she's an alcoholic who beats Sam up or something horrible like that.**

**For my story, I just want you guys to take all the bad stuff Sam's mom does in humor (like the show) and take her emotional responses as concern for her daughter. I'm not sure if you guys understand what I'm trying to do, but I had to attempt to explain my reasoning for Sandra Puckett's characterization. =P  
**

* * *


	21. Time Drags On Slowly

"Everything's going to be alright." Freddie gave a small smile as Carly looked up at him.

She took a deep breath and smiled back at him. "You always know what to say."

"Nah, I just have a few good moments once in a while." Freddie winked at her as she rolled her eyes in humor.

"So, you wanna eat?" Carly motioned towards the snacks on the table.

"Yeah sure." Freddie replied as she handed him his bag of Cheese Itz and a bottle of water. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Carly responded.

"Hey, Carls." Spencer looked over at her. He was still on his cell phone talking to Socko.

"Yeah?"

"Are you up to spending the night here if we're allowed to?" Spencer double checked.

"Of course!" She replied, wanting to stay with her best friend.

"Yeah, me too!" Freddie confirmed.

"Alright, well Socko and Taylor just offered to swing by the apartment to grab us a few items incase we sleep over here. Is there anything you kids want?"

"Uh." Carly thought for a moment. "Maybe they could bring us a few magazines from our book shelf? I know those are a lot more current than the ones here."

"Haha ok." Spencer smiled. "Anything you want Freddie?"

"Can they bring my lap top?" Freddie asked. "I left it in the iCarly studio on the tech cart."

"Sure, no problemo." Spencer then turned his attention back to his cell. "Socko?"

_**"Yep?"**_

"We'd like a few magazines off the book shelf, Freddie's lap top, and...." Spencer paused for a moment as he thought. "....and grab my deck of cards. They're on the kitchen counter."

_**"Gotcha!"**_ Socko replied. _**"Oh, and one last thing..."**_

"Yeah?" Spencer asked.

_**"I've still got the picture of Sam's mom. Should I bring it back with me, or leave it at your apartment?"**_ Socko didn't want the photo to get lost during all of this.

"Hmmm....well it might be nice for her to have it placed in her hospital room...but it could get ruined..." Spencer thought for a moment.

_**"I do have a copy."**_ Socko replied.

"Huh?"

_**"Me and Taylor scanned the photo so we wouldn't hurt the original during our search. I could leave the actual photo in your apartment and bring the scanned one."**_

"That'd be great!" Spencer exclaimed.

_**"Alrighty! Taylor and I will get going now." **_

"Ok, see ya soon! And thanks again!"

_**"Anytime!"**_ Socko replied before he hung up. Spencer shut his cell phone with a smile, happy he had such helpful friends.

Carly looked up and noticed her brother was off the phone now. "Do you want your gummy candies?"

"Yeah sure!" He replied as she handed him the small bag. He took it and read the label.

"Gummy Gums? Kinda weird to be chewing on teeth." He opened it up and pulled a couple of the denture shaped gummies out.

"That's what I said." Carly smiled as she watched her brother toss a few into his mouth.

"Nasty concept...but great flavor!" He gave her a thumbs up.

"Well that's good." Carly smiled as she reached over for her Fat Cakes. Spencer watched as she opened up the pink frosted treat.

"Never thought I'd see the day when you'd eat a Fat Cake." He remarked as he watched his sister take a bite. Just like Freddie had pointed out before, she always turned them down whenever given the chance, saying they were too unhealthy.

"Well.." Carly started off as she gulped it down. "There are a lot of things I never thought I would of been doing today.." She referred to their current position of sitting in a hospital waiting while their friend was being operated on. Spencer looked down sadly.

"Yeah...I know kiddo." He replied softly, giving her a small comforting smile as he patted her leg. She looked over at him, grateful for his support.

"I must say one thing though." Carly perked up as she gulped down another bite of her snack. "Sam is right. These things are good." She smiled. Spencer couldn't help but chuckle.

"Just don't get addicted to them." Freddie cut into the conversation. "Sam's probably the only one in the world who has a metabolism fast enough to eat those at a regular pace." Carly and Spencer laughed at his statement.

"Very, very true." Carly replied. She then looked up at the clock and sighed. "A half hour to go..." She mumbled. While in reality that wasn't too long of a wait, it was long enough for the kids to feel nervous to the point of being on the edge of their seats.

"Hey, I got an idea." Spencer spoke as he put down his bag of Gummy Gums and reached into his tuxedo pocket.

"What?" Freddie asked, munching on a few Cheese Itz.

"This." Spencer pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and set them on the table. "How about you guys play some tic-tac-toe?" He offered. Carly and Freddie looked at each other and shrugged.

"Sure." Carly replied.

"Why not?" Freddie added picking up the pen. The two kids sat forward as Freddie drew out the lines for a board.

"Can I go first?" Carly asked.

"Sure." Freddie replied, handing her the pen.

"I'm going to be X."

"Aw, I wanted to be X." He protested.

"Why?" She asked.

"O is a loser. Nobody wants to be O."

"That's because O goes second." Carly smiled. "I'm first. I'm X."

"Fine." Freddie chuckled. The two then started their battle of wits.

Spencer sat back in his seat and smiled as they began to play.

* * *

Time had passed since the gang started their first game of tic-tac-toe. The blank piece of paper was now covered in multiple crisscrossed boards. The game had started to get boring after both Carly and Freddie found out the proper moves to counteract each other's strategy, thus ending every game in a tie after that. By now the kids had put the paper to the side, and sat back in their seats, watching a TV that was set up in the top corner of the room for everyone to use. All three of them stared mindlessly at it like zombies. A news channel was currently playing something about tension being in the middle east. Carly glanced over at the small clock on the bottom right side of the report which showed the time and temperature. It not only showed the minutes, but it also counted down the seconds, ticking away. At first she hadn't realized it, but she was staring at the clock more than the actual report itself, counting down along with it. As the seconds got to the 59 mark, the minute switched over and the seconds started to go back up from zero again. Carly let out a small sigh.

"Watching the clock?" Freddie asked softly. Carly looked over at him and realized he was still staring at the TV.

"Yeah..." She answered quietly. Freddie looked over at her.

"Me too." He sighed. "It's been two hours and eleven minutes now...since Sam went in."

"I know.." Carly replied. Spencer looked over at the two kids.

"You know, the two hour mark was just an estimate. It might take a bit longer." He explained.

"I understand that.." Freddie started. "But I still just hate waiting and being in the dark about everything."

"Same here." Carly sighed, putting her elbow on her arm rest, and resting her head up on her hand sadly.

"I know guys, I know.." Spencer replied remorsefully. He also wished that they could get an update on their friend's health by now.

* * *

Even more time had passed. The surgery was now nearing the two and a half hour mark. Carly, Freddie, and Spencer remained silent, watching TV. They all knew how worried each other was, but felt it best to just stay quiet. None of them felt up to making small talk anyways. Spencer watched as the news channel switched over to a commercial, and decided to glance around the hospital waiting room. As his eyes scanned the area, he noticed Socko and Taylor walking around the corner, various items in hand.

"Hey.." Spencer sat up, catching the kids attention. "Socko and Taylor are here with our stuff."

"Really?" Carly asked as Spencer pointed them out. She was glad to see them.

"Hey guys!" Socko waved to them from a distance as he and Taylor walked up to them. "How goes it?" He asked as he unloaded the magazines and playing card deck onto the table. Taylor walked over to Freddie and handed him lap top.

"Eh, we've been better." Spencer replied. "The surgery seems to be taking a bit longer than we were told."

"Oh...really?" Taylor asked. "How much longer?"

"A half hour.." Carly answered sadly. Taylor looked over at her.

"Well hey, these things take time." He replied softly.

"Yeah." Socko agreed. "If they're taking extra time, then they must be working extra carefully. Now if the surgery ONLY lasted half an hour, I'd be worried." He offered with a small smile.

"That's a good way to look at things." Carly smiled up at the two brothers.

"Yeah, thanks!" Freddie replied.

"No problem." Socko answered.

"So..." Taylor started to say as he and Socko grabbed a seat and sat down at the table, across from the three. "Wanna play some cards?" He picked up the deck and pulled the cards out.

"Huh? You know, you don't have to wait with us." Spencer replied, giving his friends the ok the leave if they wanted to. "You've helped so much already." Spencer then leaned in towards the two brothers to whisper to them so the kids wouldn't hear. "Plus, we have no idea how long we may be here for. It could be a while."

"That's alright!" Socko replied. "We really have nothing else to do!"

"That's right." Taylor smiled as he split the card deck into two and started to shuffle. "Now what say you we get a game of gin rummy started up?" He looked over towards Carly and Freddie. "Guys wanna join in?" He asked.

"Sure." Carly replied, scooting her seat closer over to the table. Taylor started to deal out the cards.

"Freddie?" Socko asked as he pointed to the table.

"Uh nah, I think I'll just sit here and surf the web on my lap top. Thanks though!" He replied, grateful of the invitation.

"Alrighty then." Taylor replied, finishing setting up the game. The three guys and Carly picked up their hands and started to play.

* * *

Another hour had passed, making the total time for Sam's surgery three and a half hours now. Carly gazed at her cards lifelessly. All she needed was one more card to win the hand, which ironically, was the one Spencer just put down on top of the pile. Instead of picking it up, Carly reached over and picked up the next face down card off the other pile. As soon as she placed it in her hand, she realized the mistake she made. Spencer, Socko, and Taylor waited for her to make her next move, but instead she set her hand down face up and sighed.

"Sorry guys, I'm not really into the game anymore. I just can't focus. Is it alright if I'm out?" She asked.

"Yeah sure." Spencer replied, as the other men all put their cards down. "We can deal again." He stated as Carly looked down, feeling guilty for ruining the current game.

"Yup, he's right." Taylor replied. "With you out of the game now, one of us might get a chance to finally win." He laughed. "And you know that right after you, I'm the second best card player here." He added with a wink.

"Hey!" Spencer and Socko cried out in unison. Carly gave a small laugh.

"Thanks." She replied to Taylor.

"No problem." He smiled back as he grabbed up all the cards and put them back together into one pile. "Time for me to wipe the floor with you guys!" He stated proudly as he started to shuffle once more.

Carly smiled as she watched the men start another game without her. Socko and Taylor always made bad situations feel better. They were a lot like Spencer, and she was grateful that all three of them were there to help lighten the atmosphere. Once again she let out a small sigh and looked over to her right. Freddie was sitting in his seat, typing along his lap top.

"What are you doing?" Carly asked curiously, moving her seat closer next to him.

"Oh, just looking up some...stuff." He replied vaguely.

"What stuff?" Carly leaned forward to get a better look. She watched Freddie hesitantly turn his lap top away.

"Boring computer stuff." He replied slowly, knowing that by the look on Carly's face she wasn't buying it.

"What stuff?" She asked firmly once more. Freddie finally gave in and turned his lap top towards her.

"I'm looking up details about appendicitis." He pointed towards an article written by a doctor.

"Oh.." Carly responded, now understanding why her friend was reluctant to show her. It was obvious he didn't want her to become upset. "Anything informative on there?"

"Yeah, there's lots of things." Freddie replied as he scrolled down the page. "A lot of medical experts say how this surgery is very simple and that tons of people go in for appendicitis a year. It's a common medical procedure."

"That's good." Carly replied. "Read anything from people who actually went in for the surgery?" She asked.

"Yes, I have." Freddie replied. "Some said that after they went in for surgery during the morning, they were out by the afternoon."

"Really?" Carly asked as Freddie nodded. "Do you think Sam will be able to leave that quickly?" She watched her friend think for a moment.

"I dunno." He responded. "I mean, from what I've read, it seems as though the people who left during the same day, went to the hospital at the first sign of pain and well..."

"Sam didn't." Carly finished his sentence. She sighed, sitting back in her seat. She really wished her friend hadn't been stubborn earlier, and that she and Freddie had taken the proper action when Sam wouldn't. There were a lot of things she wished she had done different earlier.

"But hey, don't worry." Freddie replied. "Her situation may not be as quick as those other people, but she should get better in no time. Every story I've read about appendicitis reported a full recovery within a few weeks."

"Really?" Carly replied, feeling a bit better. She then looked back over at Freddie. "Is there anything on there that tells how long a surgery should last?" Freddie looked down at his computer for a moment and started typing. Carly waited patiently as he pulled a new page up.

"They say the average time is.." He squinted as he read. "Two hours."

"Just like the doctor told us." Carly sighed sadly. "It's been three and a half hours already. That's almost double the time it should take."

"Well, this page says that a surgery could range anywhere from between 2-3 hours.." Freddie started to say.

"Sam's is past that already." Carly cut in. "By a half hour too. What could that mean?" She looked over at Freddie, and watched as his fingers paused on his keyboard for a moment.

"I'll check.." He replied quietly before starting to type once more. He clicked on another page and started to read. "According to this article, a surgery could take a bit more time due to various...complications."

"Complications?" Carly asked, knowing that wasn't a good word.

"Yeah.." Freddie replied gently. "The biggest complication when dealing with appendicitis would be the rupturing of the appendix. Apparently when an inflamed appendix bursts, all the poison and toxins that were in it can flow into a person's body." Carly listened quietly. "This could lead to something known as Peritonitis..."

"Peritonitis?" Carly asked, not liking the sound of that at all.

"It's a dangerous infection that happens when the bacteria leaves the ruptured appendix." Freddie replied.

"Do you think.." Carly gulped. "Sam's appendix ruptured? I mean, back at the apartment your mom said it was possible..."

"I...don't know." Freddie replied, clicking away from the page. He had started to see the article talk about possibilities of organ failure and eventual death from Peritonitis and decided to shut his lap top. He had read enough at that point and Carly didn't need to see. "We'll just have to sit and wait." He looked over at her.

"You're right." She replied, looking down at the ground, feeling sick to her stomach. Both of them felt that Sam's surgery was taking too long.

* * *

**Looks like the kids are getting antsy at this point! What could be taking so long? Find out in future chapters....as soon as I write them. xP**


	22. Who Died?

**It took me a while, but I finally finished this chapter! It was a tough one to write, but I finally got it down the way I wanted! Anyways, the beginning of this chapter starts off from the cliffhanger I left you guys on in chapter 18.....which I know is a highly anticipated scene! Enjoy!

* * *

**

Sam looked around the Shay apartment noticing Carly and Freddie were now gone. They were just walking with her when they mysteriously disappeared out of nowhere.

"What's going on?!" She yelled in a mixture of anger and panic to the now empty living room. "Where'd you guys go?!" No one answered. "Carly?!" Sam called out. No response. "Freddie?!" She looked around and was once again met with silence. She was really starting to panic now. "Spencer?! Anyone?!" The apartment was dead quiet.

Sam stepped off the bottom step and sat down on it, putting her head in her hands. "Ok there's got to be a logical explanation for this.." She mumbled, shutting her eyes. "Maybe they were abducted by aliens?" She asked herself before shaking her head. "No, not logical. Uh, spontaneous combustion?" Sam looked behind her. "No, there'd be an explosion of some sort." She then moaned and closed her eyes once more. "I can't think of anything to explain this!" She thought for a moment, correcting her statement. "I can't think of anything remotely intelligent to explain this!" Sam paused and took a deep breath. _'Maybe I'm going crazy..?'_ She thought. It'd be no surprise considering her family genes could easily have an insanity trait in there somewhere. Heaven knows it's claimed half of the Pucketts already.

"Alright, so let's say I am going crazy. At least I'm aware of it." Sam spoke out loud, trying to calm herself down. Just as she was about to open her eyes, she heard a few random voices speak out around her. "What?!" Sam quickly snapped her head up and looked towards the source of the noise. What she saw made her body freeze in shock and confusion. Instead of sitting on the bottom step of the stairs, she was now sitting on the couch, as if her body teleported there when her eyes were closed. Sam slowly looked around and realized Spencer and Mrs. Benson were standing over by the couch. Freddie was sitting on the table and Carly was sitting in a chair. They were all looking at her worriedly. The whole scene was quite unnerving. Sam opened her mouth to ask what happened but quickly found out she had no control of her body at this point. It was like there was some imaginary puppet master pulling her strings, and all she could do was sit back and watch as the scene unfolded before her. She looked at the corner of the room and noticed a few paramedics had started to roll a gurney out from the elevator. Spencer looked down at her.

"We called for an ambulance. They're going to take you to the hospital." He stated slowly. Sam looked up at him, confused.

_'An ambulance? Why?!' _She asked in her mind. Were they taking her to an asylum because she went crazy?

"It's for the best..." Carly started to say. Sam looked over at her best friend in shock.

_'For the best?! You're just going to let them ship me off to the nut farm?' _Sam was stunned at this news. She felt like even Carly gave up on her for whatever reason. All of a sudden Sam felt an immense fear well up in her body. The puppet master was obviously taking a hold once more as Sam felt her eyes shift over to the door and then back over to the paramedics. She felt helpless as she couldn't control these actions. As Sam continued trying to figure out what the heck was going on, her legs come to life of their own accord. Sam was startled as they made her body spring up and jump over the couch like a hurdle.

_'What am I doing?!'_ Sam thought frantically as she felt her body run towards the door.

"NO!" Carly's voice yelled behind her. Sam heard her but couldn't turn her head to look back. All she saw was the door getting closer. For some reason this scene felt very familiar to her but she couldn't place why. As Sam's fingers fumbled with the door knob, she could hear the footsteps of people running up behind her. Just as the footsteps were almost within reaching distance, she managed to get the door open and bolted out.

"PLEASE STOP!" Carly screamed from behind her. Sam desperately wanted to listen to her best friend, but her legs wouldn't listen. She continued to run out of the apartment, past Freddie's door, and down the hallway over to the main elevator. During all this time she heard the footsteps behind her get lower and lower, signaling that she was running much faster than they were. When the elevator was in sight, Sam felt her body skid to a stop in front of it and felt her pointer press the button. The doors opened and Sam watched as she ran in and slammed the close door button with her fist. She looked back out towards the hallway and noticed everyone was running after her, with Carly in the lead. Just as her best friend was about to reach the elevator, the doors slid shut.

_'Oh my god! What's happening to me?'_ Sam thought worriedly, quiet music playing from the elevator speakers as it started to descend the building. Her heart was beating so fast that she could hear it pounding in her eardrums. _'Is this what it's like to go crazy?' _She wondered. She had full control of her mind, but not of her body. She was truly frightened of this fact. As the elevator landed on the lobby floor, the doors started to open. Once again Sam's legs had a life of their own as she started to run towards the main doors. As she flew past, she caught a side glimpse of Carly and Freddie running down the steps, with Spencer and Mrs. Benson right behind them, gasping for breath. Sam realized that she had managed to beat them down to the lobby and as she pushed her way through the main doors.

* * *

Once outside, Sam could only mentally watch as her body ran towards the front steps and jumped. She flew over them as if they were one giant hurdle. Sam felt her body land in a crouching position on the sidewalk, and watched as she turned around to look back at the Bushwell Plaza building. Her friends were now running out of the main doors. She wanted them to catch her so badly, but her hope diminished as she felt her body turn away from them and continue to run down the sidewalk. Her sneakers pounded along the concrete, trying harder and harder to run faster.

"SAM!" Freddie called out from behind her. "You're sick and have to go to the hospital! Stop running!"

_'I would if I could!'_ Sam yelled in her head.

"STOP!" Carly cried out.

_'I'M TRYING!'_ Sam replied sadly once more. _'Please! Stop me!'_ She thought. Apparently someone had listened to her wish as Sam felt the tip of her shoe catch onto a crack in the sidewalk. Her body came hurtling down and the last thing she felt was her chin connecting with the ground. Everything went black once more.

* * *

Back in the hospital waiting room, Carly and Freddie were quietly sitting in their seats as Spencer, Socko, and Taylor continued to play cards. It was obvious that the men were beginning to loose interest in playing when they had switched over to Old Maid, a game that required no thinking or strategy at all, other than holding up one card higher than the other, in hopes of predicting which one the other person would choose. As Freddie watched the men play their game unenthusiastically, he glanced over at Carly. It was obvious she was tired, worried, and just utterly defeated looking. Freddie looked down at his hands and realized he must of looked the same way, because he sure as heck felt it. He then glanced up and looked around the waiting room. His eyes fell upon the door that Sam was wheeled through hours ago when they first arrived.

_'If someone is going to give us an update, they're going to be coming through that door..'_ He thought as he looked at it. Almost three minutes had passed when Freddie had to shut his eyes for a moment. He had been staring at the door non-stop, burning holes into it, wishing he could make the doctor appear with good news about Sam just by thinking about it. Unfortunately, that was illogical and he couldn't. Freddie sighed and opened his eyes once more. He looked up at the clock and watched as the minute hand scraped past the twelve, starting the count for a new minute. That was when Freddie realized he'd had enough. Gripping the armrests of his chair, he quickly pulled himself up into a standing position. Carly noticed this and looked over, watching as he got out of his seat.

"Freddie, what are you..?" She let her question trail off as she saw him walk away. By now Spencer and his friends also looked up from the cards to see what was up. They watched as Freddie made his way over to the main desk.

"Excuse me?" Freddie asked, trying to stay polite, although his voice held a strong tone. The woman at the desk looked up at him.

"Yes sir?" She asked. By now Carly had gotten up and walked over and stood next to him, wondering what he was doing.

"Listen, we were told a while ago that our friend was going into surgery for two hours. It's been roughly three and a half since then, and we haven't had one update." Freddie replied as Carly stood next to him quietly.

"Who went into surgery?" The woman asked patiently.

"Samantha Puckett." Freddie replied. The woman placed reading glasses on, opened a book, and started to scan a list of names.

"Oh, the appendectomy." She replied, looking down at the page. "I'm sorry, but we have no information on her status." She replied.

"You don't understand." Freddie explained, as he turned around and pointed to Carly. "My friend and I have been waiting here for over an hour with no news about Sam. She's our best friend, and I think we deserve _at least_ one update by now." His voice got a little more harsher. The woman sighed. She worked at the hospital for many years, and always felt guilty whenever the people in the waiting room got hysterical due to no news on their loved ones.

"I would give you any information if I could." She tried to reason with Freddie. "We just don't have any in our records right now."

"AND WHY NOT?!" Freddie slammed his hands down on the table. Carly jumped, not expecting her friend to react this way, and looked over at him worriedly. She knew he wasn't mad at the woman, just at the situation. By now Spencer had gotten up from his seat and ran over to the two kids.

"Hey, hey.." He walked behind Freddie and gently put his hands on his shoulders. "Calm down..alright?" Spencer spoke softly. Freddie turned around to face him.

"I can't! They're not telling us anything! This is a hospital! Why won't they tell us what's wrong?" Freddie yelled back. Carly agreed with him silently, but knew he was upsetting the others sitting in the waiting room with his outbursts.

"Freddie.." Carly spoke softly as he turned around towards her voice. "Please listen to Spencer. Let's just go sit back down. We'll get an update when they have one.." She replied quietly. Freddie stared at her for a moment before he started to feel his blood pressure return to normal.

"Alright......." He replied sadly. Carly gently took his hand and walked side by side with him to his seat. Meanwhile, Spencer turned back around towards the woman.

"I'm sorry, it's just.." Spencer looked back at Carly and Freddie who were now seated. He then glanced over at the lady. "They're just kids, and they're really scared because their friend is sick and.."

"Say no more." The woman held up her hand to signal that he didn't have to explain. "I completely understand."

"Thank you." Spencer gave a small appreciative smile. He then turned around and started to walk back towards his own seat when a nurse with a clipboard walked out of the doors where patients were wheeled into. As Spencer sat down, the nurse walked over to the woman at the front desk and whispered to her. The lady nodded and pointed over towards him and the kids. The nurse nodded and made her way over to the group.

"Are you the people who came in with Samantha Puckett?" She asked as everyone looked up slowly.

"Yes we are." Spencer replied, hopefully. Carly and Freddie stayed dead quiet. They realized this was the moment they had been waiting for and knew what the consequences of this woman's words could be. Both of them felt a lump form in their throats as their mouths went dry and their blood turned cold in anticipation.

"I have some news." The nurse confirmed.

* * *

_'Uh......'_ Sam moaned. _'What happened?' _She realized that she was laying down on a hard surface, so she pulled herself up into a sitting position and rubbed her head. _'I think I remember something about...running.'_ Sam thought quietly, her eyes shut tight. _'Yeah, I was running down the sidewalk and I couldn't control myself! And then I tripped.'_ Everything was still a bit hazy for her as she struggled to remember what was going on. _'Does that mean I'm still outside?' _There was only one way to answer this question. Sam slowly opened her eyes and realized that she was once again sitting on the floor of the familiar room known as the iCarly studio. She just sat there with her mouth hanging wide open, stunned once more. Finally shaking off the paralysis, she looked around and noticed no one was there.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Sam screamed out. She looked around wildly for a moment until realizing something. "Hey, I have my voice back." She put her hands to her throat. "And I can move my body..." She slowly stood up, in full control of her actions. "But why am I...?" Her question was cut off as Freddie and Carly came through the doors. Freddie was holding a large cardboard box for whatever reason. After seeing her friends, she ran towards them. "Please Carls! I'm going nuts here! Someone explain to me what's happening!" She spoke frantically to her best friend, but both Carly and Freddie walked by her as if they hadn't heard. "Hello?" Sam replied weakly as she watched the two friends stop into the middle of the room.

"Where do you want to start?" Freddie asked quietly to Carly, setting down the cardboard box on the floor.

"I don't know.." Carly replied with the same tone as him. "Let's just start putting away the small stuff."

"Ok.." Freddie replied. Sam watched as they walked over to different corners of the room and started to pick up various items.

"C'mon guys.." Sam replied. "If this is a joke, I'm not laughing. I'm really freaked out here." Neither Carly nor Freddie made any acknowledgment that they heard her. Sam decided to walk over to her best friend. She would be more willing to let her in on the joke than Freddie if there was one being pulled on her. "Carly?" Sam asked quietly. She walked over and faced her, noticing that Carly had started to sob quietly as she cleaned up the room. "Hey?" Sam eyed her nervously. "What's wrong?" Carly didn't respond. She just continued to pick up a few stuffed animals that were iCarly displays. Sam backed away from her slowly, unsure of what was going on. She looked over towards Freddie and watched as he walked over to the cardboard box with an armful of props used in their webshow. He dropped them in the box sullenly. That was when Sam noticed how pale and tired he looked. His skin was white and he had bags under his eyes.

"Freddie...." Sam just stared at him. She was starting to get an uneasy vibe as her best friend walked past her and dropped her own armful of stuffed animals into the box. Freddie looked up at Carly who continued to gaze down into the box.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Carly sniffed.

"No, no I'm not." She then put her head in her hands and started to sob uncontrollably.

"Shh..." Freddie walked over to her and lightly wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace. Sam sat there stunned while watching this.

_'They're acting as if someone.......died.' _She thought.

"Freddie!" Carly backed away from him. "I can't do this!" She cried out. Freddie looked at her sympathetically. "I can't clean out the studio. Not now." Carly continued to cry as tears streamed down her face.

_'Why are they cleaning the studio?'_ Sam thought. _'Did iCarly end or something? Is that what they're upset about?' _

"It's alright.." Freddie replied trying to calm his friend down. Sam noticed that he had started to cry too.

"NO IT'S NOT ALRIGHT!" Carly yelled out hysterically. Her legs gave out as she collapsed to the floor in a defeated slump, covering her face with her hands as she cried. Freddie crouched down next to her slowly.

"What's wrong?!" Sam called out, running over towards the two, wondering why her best friend just fell down as an emotional wreck.

"Carly..." Freddie whispered gently, holding onto the sobbing girl. Sam noticed that even though he was trying to calm Carly down, he himself had no control over his own emotions. The two were breaking down right in front of Sam, and she had no idea why.

"Why?!" Carly yelled back. "Why her?!"

"I don't..." Freddie took a deep shaky breath. " I don't know!" He yelled out, continuing to cry.

"How could it get this b-bad?" Carly asked, her voice trembling.

"These things.." Freddie paused as he gulped, trying to find the strength to continue talking. "These things just happen!"

"But why her? Why my best friend?" Carly buried her head into Freddie's embrace. "Why did Sam have to die?!" The two kids continued to cry in each other's arms as Sam stood there alone, downright horrified.

* * *

**Yikes!**** I'll try to get the next chapter up asap!**** These cliffhangers must be killing you guys! (...pardon the expression. xP)  
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	23. Revelations and Shocking News!

**I know how excited you guys are for this chapter! SO no big author's note up here. JUST HURRY AND READ! xD Enjoy! ;)**

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* * *

**"Died?!" Sam cried out. "What do you mean I died?! I'm right here!" She yelled out as she waved her arms above her head. Once again she was completely ignored by Carly and Freddie as they continued to sob in each other's arms. "What's wrong with you guys?! Can't you hear me?" Sam asked as she walked over. "Hello?!" She bent down next to them and went to put her hand on Freddie's shoulder to try and get his attention. As soon as she leaned forward to give him a light shove, she was met with no resistance and fell down. "Uff...wha..?" She was now currently crouching down on the floor with her hands held out in front of her for balance. As she looked around, she realized that she had fallen straight through Freddie's back, as if he were a hologram.

"WAH!" Sam screamed as she jumped up. Humans were definitely not supposed to fall through each other. "WHAT IN THE WORLD?!" She quickly backed away from her friends in fear. She put a hand over her heart to try and calm herself down. "Did I just fall INTO Freddie?" She asked herself as she stared wide eyed at him. He looked solid enough.

"Am I hallucinating?" She wondered. "Maybe this is all a mirage of some sort." Sam tried to reason with herself as she walked around her friends towards Carly's side. "What about you?" She asked hesitantly as she moved her hand towards Carly's back to give her a tap. Sam became speechless as her hand went right into her, disappearing out of sight. Sam slowly retracted her hand back and looked down at it.

"It's like I'm a....ghost." Sam muttered, still staring down at her hand. "And ghosts are...." Her eyes got wide. "OH MY GOD! THEN I'M REALLY.....?" She cried out frantically. "No no no no no no no no no..." Sam quietly started to whimper as she shut her eyes and put her hands against the sides of her head. "I can't be dead, I can't!" She opened her eyes and looked back at Carly and Freddie. It was pretty hard to convince herself that she wasn't a ghost by the way her friends were acting.

"Carly! Freddie! I'm right here!" Sam ran back over to them. "C'MON! YOU GOTTA HEAR ME! PLEASE!" Her friends just continued to cry sadly. This scene was getting to be too much for her.

"I have to get out of here!" Sam started to panic. She ran towards the studio door and attempted to open it. Unfortunately for whatever reason, the door wouldn't budge, signaling that she was trapped there."Why wont you open?!" Sam asked the door angrily for a second until she realized something. "Wait!" She thought to herself, trying to think as rationally as she could in an irrational situation. "I'm a ghost! I'll go through the stupid wall." She muttered as she attempted to walk through it. "Ooof!" Sam winced as the front of her body made contact with the hard surface. She backed away and put her hands to her face. "I probably should of realized that wouldn't of worked when my hand didn't go through the door.." She replied stupidly, feeling a bit embarrassed as she rubbed her nose. "But how come everything else is solid when my friends aren't?" Sam looked over at them as they started talking to each other once more.

"Freddie....it's all my fault." Carly mumbled into his chest.

"No it's n-not." He sobbed.

"Yes it is!" Carly yelled back in response. "I knew something was wrong with her, and I knew she was going to run!" As her best friend spoke, Sam temporarily flipped her 'freak out' switch into the off position, and walked back over to her friends, curious as to what they were saying.

_'What are they talking about?'_ Sam asked herself quietly.

"Carly, there was no way you could of known that she was going to run!" Freddie tried to explain.

"Yes there was! I saw it in her eyes. I knew that look!" Carly gasped for a few breaths of air as she cried. "I knew she was going to run but I wasn't fast enough to catch her."

_'Huh?'_ Sam thought for a second until she realized what they were talking about. They were talking about the whole scene that happened a few moments before, when they were chasing her down the sidewalk. Right before she teleported or something..here.

"That doesn't matter!" Freddie replied back. "No one was at fault for what happened! It just.." He sniffled. "..happened!"

"You're wrong!" Carly cried back. "If she wasn't able to make it to the sidewalk, then she wouldn't of tripped! She never would of ruptured her appendix when she fell and she would still be with us." Carly sobbed. "The nurse told us how it was too late to save her because the poison spread too quickly throughout her body and in result, shut down her h-h-heart." She started to choke as her tears fell.

_'My appendix?' _Sam asked as she listened to her friends. Suddenly little memories throughout the day started to come back to her. The stomachache, the movie, the sickness. _'That's right! I was sick..'_ She thought in realization. _'Then I really am dead?'_ She paused for a moment. _'People always say that you see your life flash before your eyes before dying, and maybe that's what's happening now..or in this case...happened. I guess I'm already dead if I'm a ghost..' _Sam looked over at her friends sadly.

"It still wasn't your fault.." Freddie kept Carly in a hug, resting his chin on top of her head and looking up at the ceiling. Tears continued to trail down his face.

"If I only caught her before she ran...if I only caught her.." Carly continued to say weakly. Sam looked over at her best friends with so much guilt. It was obvious that she was the one who put them through all of this. If she hadn't run away then they wouldn't be.......

_'WAIT!' _Sam stopped herself in mid-thought. Something about this whole situation wasn't sitting right with her. She remembered going over to Carly's earlier this day, getting really sick, and she even remembered starting to run away, but there was something that just wasn't adding up. _'The sidewalk thing....I can't remember it clearly.' _Sam put a hand to her head and shut her eyes tight. _'There was something...wrong about that. I know it.' _She thought, frustratingly._ 'That was the only part that felt like a dream, where I wasn't in full control of myself...'_ Soon enough, bits and pieces of her memory started to fill in the blanks. _'That's because....I never did make it outside the apartment!' _She finally realized as her memory came back in a burst. She walked over to her friends and crouched down, looking Carly in the eyes. _'It's true that you were crying before, but it wasn't because I ran away....it was because you caught me!' _

Sam finally put the pieces of the puzzle together. "I remember now!" She exclaimed loudly. "When Spencer called in the ambulance to take me to the hospital, I freaked out and ran for the door, but I never got past it! Carly stopped me!" Sam's eyes widened in realization. "I remember that specifically because she was holding onto me and crying! That was the first time I've ever seen Carly so emotional." Sam explained to herself, remembering that it was her best friend's words and tears which helped make her stop the struggle and calm the two girls down. "Carly did catch me! I never left the apartment, so I never got outside and tripped and fell!"

Sam slowly looked down in thought. It finally made sense to her.....in a weird convoluted way. For whatever reason, Sam's mind had decided to replay the events of that certain memory, when she reacted to the news of going to the hospital. Maybe it was her fear that boggled up what actually happened, and replaced the scene with a more horrifying one, or maybe it was some sort of revelation, as if to explain what _could _of happened. Sam couldn't say for sure, but she did understand one thing. "So if that's the case, then this means that...." Sam looked up at her friends crying over her death. "This can't be real!"

* * *

Back in the emergency room waiting area in Schneider's Medical Complex, three people were waiting for possible life altering news. Spencer, Carly and Freddie were now confronted by the messenger who would bring them this information.

"Are you the people who came in with Samantha Puckett?" A nurse asked as she walked over to the gang.

"Yes, y-yes we are." Spencer replied, looking up at her. Carly and Freddie froze, knowing how important this small conversation would be.

"I have some news." The nurse confirmed. She flipped over a piece of paper on her clipboard and started to read. "Samantha's surgery lasted a bit longer because of a complication found in the operating room."

At this point, Spencer, Carly, and Freddie each felt their heart skip a beat. It was as if the world stopped spinning and everything moved in slow motion. They were too afraid to hear the next part, but knew they had to. Their friend's life was dangling on the next few words that came out of this woman's mouth.

"C-complication?" Spencer managed to stutter out.

"Yes." The nurse replied. Carly and Freddie braced for the worst as they felt tears start to well up in their eyes. Every bad thing they read from the articles on the internet flashed through their heads. Freddie felt his body run cold as he remembered reading about organ failure and death. The two kids stayed quiet as the nurse continued to explain. "While her appendix didn't completely rupture, it did start to leak in the OR. The doctors had to take some extra time to make sure her intestines were flushed out."

"Which means what? Exactly...?" Spencer gulped.

"It means the surgeons were able to clean out the bacteria before it could do any real damage." The nurse paused for a moment. "It was really lucky that she arrived here when she did. The surgeons say that once her appendix was removed, it actually ruptured in his hand. If she came any later well, things would be a lot tougher, but....that doesn't matter now." The nurse smiled. "Anyway, the surgery is over and Samantha is going to be fine. She'll just be tired and sore for a while. She's currently in the recovery room now. You will be allowed to see her once she is moved into her own room." The nurse explained. Freddie and Carly just stared at her, their mouths half open in shock. They didn't know how to react. Here they were, waiting for the worst possible news in the world, and suddenly the heavy weight of hopelessness was completely lifted off their shoulders in an instant. It took a second for their bodies to understand and respond to just how great this news was.

The nurse continued to speak. "Nurse Benson will come out and tell you when you may go see her." She then smiled once more before walking away.

"G-guys.." Spencer stuttered looking down at the two kids. "Sam's going to be ok!" He beamed as he let out a huge smile. Tears had formed in the corners of his eyes as he reached over and grabbed them both into a tight embrace. Because he was the first one able to react, Spencer helped opened the floodgates for both Carly and Freddie.

"Oh my god..." Carly whispered into her brother's hug as she broke out into tears. She was so happy that she didn't care that she had started crying uncontrollably.

"I'm so relieved..." Freddie replied quietly as he let out a shaky sigh, wrapping his arms around the two. His heart was still pounding in his chest, and he felt sick to his stomach....but now it was a good sick.

Meanwhile Socko and Taylor were watching the heartwarming embrace from a distance.

Socko looked over at Taylor slowly. "Aww...." He smiled as he started to put his arms out. Taylor cocked an eyebrow at him. "HUG ME BROTHA!" Socko called out. Taylor smiled and gave in, returning his brother's enthusiastic hug. It was a happy moment and everyone was sharing in the good feelings.

* * *

**Small but powerful chapter! I figured I'd better get it up soon due to all the frantic reviews I received! Hope I didn't scare you guys too bad! I could never kill off a main character..... :P  
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**(And I totally stole the 'hug me brotha' line from Drake and Josh....obviously! It just fits perfectly with Socko and Taylor at that moment. ;D)**

**I hope this chapter helped answer all the questions the last one raised in your heads! (Which I purposly wrote to confuse the heck out of you guys. xD)  
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	24. Seeing Sam

**I wrote a new chapter for you guys last night! =D Before I start, I want to answer a few questions. First off:**

**KeylimePie14: No, this isn't a Seddie story. It's JUST based on friendship, BUT I always sprinkle a little bit of each ship in my stories so everyone can find a part they like. =) So there are Seddie-influenced parts that a Seddie will enjoy. ;)**

**Roseheart- I haven't been able to respond to you personally since you don't have an inbox, but as for my other story 'iSwitch Bodies', I'll get back to that one eventually! Just not sure when. :P I kind of hit a wall with that one while my inspiration for this story still keeps running, so I decided to keep this story going as long as I could before I hit another wall. But don't worry, I WILL get back to my other story. ^_^ I loved writing that one, so I'll try my best to think up some more ideas for it quickly!  
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**And lastly,I want to give a thanks to Sham-pow! (Awesome name btw. xD) I always appreciate whenever I receive such a nice review, and because I can't thank you personally in a pm, I wanted to tell you here how much I loved your review! Thanks so much! =D**

**Now onto the story!**

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* * *

**Spencer, Carly, and Freddie all stood in a tight embrace. After a few moments of comfort, the three finally broke off the hug.

"Wow.." Spencer let out a huge breath of relief as he let his arms down from the children's backs.

"Yeah.." Freddie replied, understanding exactly what Spencer meant by that one simple word. He sighed as he felt a tear slip from his eyes. "Sam's ok now, so why am I crying?" Freddie gave a small shaky laugh as he wiped off the tear.

Carly couldn't help but chuckle as well. "Me too." She replied, rubbing the back of her hands against her eyes.

"People can cry when they're happy." Spencer lightly placed his hands on the kid's shoulders and smiled at them.

"True." Carly replied. Socko and Taylor walked over towards the group. They had waited patiently in the distance until their friends got over their first reaction to the great news.

"So all's good?" Socko smiled.

"All's good." Spencer nodded happily.

"Alrighty then!" Taylor clapped his hands loudly. "What say we celebrate with a round of milkshakes? I noticed they had some in the cafeteria! Me and Socko can make a quick run over there and grab some for you guys while you wait."

"That'd be great guys." Spencer smiled.

"Yeah!" Carly added.

"Thanks." Freddie responded.

"No problemo!" Socko replied. The two brothers once again walked away towards the hallway.

"Oh and one last thing!" Spencer called out as his friends looked back at him.

"What?" Taylor asked back.

"Don't get lost!" Spencer replied.

"We'll try not to!" Socko added. Spencer just shook his head and laughed. And with that, Socko and Taylor walked around the corner and out of sight.

"Ok you guys.." Spencer turned around towards Carly and Freddie. "Let's take a seat and wait for Mrs. Benson."

"Sounds good." Carly replied with a smile as she and Freddie sat down in their seats. This time, everyone looked at the clock on a happy note, knowing they would see their friend soon.

* * *

Around eleven minutes had passed since the kids heard the good news. Socko and Taylor had returned from their milkshake run surprisingly with no problems. All five of them were now sitting in their seats patiently, sipping their drinks. Freddie gulped down another sip as he looked up and saw his mom coming through the doors.

"Hey, there she is!" Freddie jumped up and pointed excitedly.

"Awesome!" Carly replied setting her milkshake on the table and standing up alongside him.

Spencer looked over at his friends. "Hey would you guys mind..?" Socko quickly held his hand up to show he didn't need to ask further.

"Don't worry! We'll watch over your stuff." Socko pointed to the cards, magazines, and lap top.

"But don't expect your milkshakes to be full when you get back." Taylor winked as he reached over and grabbed Spencer's cup from the table.

"Thanks...and I won't." Spencer laughed as he turned around and walked up to Mrs. Benson with the kids.

"How is she?" Carly asked quickly.

"Everything alright?" Freddie asked. Mrs. Benson smiled.

"Yes, the surgery went well. She's currently resting in her own room. You can go visit her now."

"Great!" Spencer replied as Carly and Freddie smiled.

"Oh, but there is one thing I should mention. Because of the anesthesia, she may be out of it for quite a while. We've already woken her up in the recovery room as a precaution we do with all patients to make sure they can come out of the anesthesia. But it is common for patients to be groggy enough when they are originally woken up to forget and drift right back to sleep afterward. It may take some time before she wakes up again."

"We completely understand." Carly confirmed as Freddie nodded alongside her.

"Alright then." Mrs. Benson smiled. "Follow me." She led them towards a different hallway that led out of the emergency room area. The gang followed her quietly as she led them through various twists and turns around the hospital building until she rounded the last corner. "Her room is in this wing." Mrs. Benson explained as they walked down another hallway that had numerous doors lined up at each wall. Spencer, Carly, and Freddie walked behind her silently, their hearts pounding with anticipation.

"Here we are." Mrs. Benson stopped at a door. "Room 134." She turned the knob gently and pushed, holding the door open for them. All three of them filed through the doorway quietly. The room was decorated nicely, almost as if it were in a hotel. There was a closet to hold various medical supplies, a lamp in the corner of the room, a few leather chairs, and a small couch set up on the other side. There was also a nice medium sized window that offered a good view of the landscape outside. But despite how nice it looked, everyone knew that the best thing in the room was the bed in the middle, where Sam was laying down on her back, sleeping. The gang walked over quietly to see her. They noticed that there was a small heart monitor set up next to the right side of her bed while her IV bag dangled from the left side with a tube trailing down and into her left wrist.

"Sam.." Carly softly whispered as she made her way over to the side of the bed and looked at her best friend. It was obvious that Sam had gone through a lot, as her skin was much paler and she had black circles around her eyes, but other than that, she looked very peaceful. Her chest rose up and down slowly, signaling deep sleep. Carly couldn't help but smile as she looked at her friend. She had never felt closer to Sam until now. After fearing the fact that her best friend may have been taken away from her, the reality of being able to stand in the same room with her was downright heartwarming.

Freddie just stayed quiet as he gazed at Sam. He couldn't describe the amount of relief he felt as he looked down at his sleeping friend. This whole ordeal had really shaken him, and after all of the worry and frustration he and his friends went through, finding out that she was alright was the best news in the world. He couldn't of asked for anything better than the promise of his friend's good health.

Spencer also remained quiet as he looked down at Sam and smiled. He not only considered himself a guardian to Carly, but to her as well. And to see that part of his family was alright after such an experience....well, he was just speechless. No words could explain his emotions at this point, as they were that powerful.

Mrs. Benson stood quietly at the door as she cleared her throat. "Feel free to grab a seat. Like I said, it may be a while before she wakes up. I have to leave now and go fill out some paperwork but I'll be back to check up on Samantha. If you need me before that, the green button on the remote hooked up to the bed will give me a call. Just press it if you need my assistance or if she starts to wake up before I get back." Mrs. Benson explained.

"Thanks mom. We will." Freddie replied as he turned towards her. She gave a nod and walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

"Ok..." Spencer started as he picked up one of the big leather chairs and set it next to the right side of Sam's bed. "Here's a seat for you." He motioned to his little sister.

"Thank you." Carly replied as she sat down in the chair next to the bed. Spencer then grabbed another chair and carried it over to the left side of the bed. "For you Freddie."

"Thanks." Freddie replied as Spencer dragged the seat over to him. Freddie took it and positioned it to Sam's left. Spencer then walked over and stood at the end of the bed, looking at Sam once more.

"Alright you guys, I'm going to go back to Socko and Taylor for a moment." Spencer started to explain as Carly and Freddie looked up curiously at him. "I'm gonna go and see what's up with Sam's mom. Maybe she'll be able to get back here before Sam wakes up."

"Good idea." Carly replied.

"Will you guys be alright?" He double checked.

"Yeah.." Freddie looked over at Sam. "We'll be ok. Plus my mom is on call if we need her, and you know how quickly she can get here when needed." Freddie added as Carly laughed.

"He's right." She replied with a smile as she remembered the time Freddie simply stubbed his toe on her couch, letting out a small whimper of discomfort, and Mrs. Benson came running through the door within two seconds with her big first aid kit wheeling in behind her.

"Haha ok." Spencer responded. "I'll be back in a bit." He replied before he turned around and walked out of the room. The door once again shut quietly with a click. Both of the kids looked back at their sleeping friend.

"You know.." Carly started to say as Freddie looked up at her across the bed from him. "Words are nice and all, but actually being able to look at Sam, and see that's she's alright is..."

"I understand what you mean." Freddie smiled at her. "Believe me. I understand." Carly looked over at him and smiled back before returning her eyesight to her friend.

"So...how long do you think she'll be asleep for?" Carly wondered.

"Hmmm..." Freddie looked up in thought. "I'd say a week."

"What?!" Carly looked up at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Well..." Freddie started off. "This is Sam we're talking about. Think about it. She's in a drug induced sleep right?" Carly nodded slowly as he continued. "And how long does it take for her to wake up from _normal_ sleep?"

"Uh.." Carly tried to think.

"She doesn't. That's the problem. The only way she wakes up is if someone pokes her with a stick or holds a piece of fried chicken under her nose. Now that she's drugged, those methods won't work anymore. Who knows when she'll decide to wake up." Freddie smiled. Carly gave a small laugh, realizing he was joking around.

"Yeah, you're right." Carly replied. "I bet Sam will try to sleep until the school year's over."

"Not necessarily." Freddie replied. "She'll have to wake up on the last day so she can go and egg all the teacher's cars as they leave the parking lot. Sam told me that's the best time to prank a teacher as they're unsuspecting at that point, thinking they're free of pranks for the whole summer. Also the fact that it's too late for detention is a bonus."

"Of course." Carly laughed as she looked over at her best friend sleeping. "That's Sam for you."

* * *

**Alrighty, the gang got to see their friend! Next chapter-Sam wakes up! =)**


	25. Waking Up!

Sam cursed her luck as she was once again thrust into darkness. She had just found out that her death was only a dream, and as soon as she made the realization, both Carly and Freddie disappeared as the iCarly studio melted away into an inky black. Sam sighed. She could hear many voices in the background but wasn't sure who was speaking, as she had started to grow accustomed to. Sam thought she heard Freddie's mom tell her to wake up for a split second, but she couldn't dwell on the thought, or even remember it that much. The only thing she could confirm at this point was that she was tired. Everything was still a bit hazy and she just wanted to clear her head. Her emotions had been shot to hell by now, and she was mentally exhausted. She tried to look around but could see nothing, and every time she moved she felt like she was waking up from the nightmare, before the pitch black sleep engulfed her mind once more. At this point Sam's body knew what it had to do. It had to get out of there.

* * *

Freddie and Carly were still sitting by the sides of Sam's bed making small talk as their friend slept quietly. It had been roughly ten minutes since both Mrs. Benson and Spencer left the room. The two kids understood that there could a long wait before they actually got to talk to Sam, so Carly and Freddie decided to occupy themselves with various activities as their conversation started to die off.

"Hey, I think there's a newspaper over here." Freddie looked at the counter and saw one folded up neatly. He reached over and grabbed it. "Want to read?" He offered it to Carly first.

"Nah, that's alright." She replied, giving him the ok to keep it. "I think I'll just turn on the TV." She found the remote to it and clicked on the power button, turning it onto a guide channel. Carly pressed the down arrow for the volume to keep it quiet for Sam. The two sat in a comfortable silence as they sat by their friend.

* * *

A little more time had passed, about twelve minutes, when Mrs. Benson came back in with a clipboard.

"Hello Carly, Freddie." She greeted quietly as she looked over at them.

"Hi Mrs. Benson." Carly smiled.

"Hey mom." Freddie replied.

"I'm here to check up on Samantha." She explained as she walked over to her patient.

"She's still sleeping." Carly replied as she stood up from her seat to allow Mrs. Benson to get closer to Sam.

"I see.." Mrs. Benson replied as she walked over and picked up her wrist to feel her pulse and glanced over at the heart monitor. Carly and Freddie watched silently as Mrs. Benson finally put her wrist down."Normal, that's good." She then put her hand against Sam's forehead. "Hmm..."

"What is it?" Freddie asked as he watched his mom.

"She may have a slight fever." She replied as she wrote down something on her clipboard.

"Is that bad?" Carly asked.

"Not at this temperature. It may easily be a result of the anesthesia. I'll keep an eye on her, and if the fever goes up, I'll give her some Tylenol." Mrs. Benson explained. "But for now, we'll she how she feels when she wakes up. The fever could break by then."

"Oh, ok." Freddie replied.

"I'm going to notify the doctors of Samantha's current condition. You kids need anything?" Mrs. Benson asked as she made her way to the door.

"No, we're fine." Carly replied.

"Yup." Freddie agreed. Once again, Mrs. Benson gave a small smile and left the room.

* * *

The clock ticked on the wall as the minutes continued to pass. Carly and Freddie had been sitting in the room for a total of thirty minutes now. Carly was still watching the TV as Freddie continued to read his newspaper. Every once in a while the kids would glance at Sam to make sure she was doing alright. Both of them wondered how Spencer was making out and hoped that he could get a hold of Sam's mom in time. Unfortunately that wouldn't be the case....

"Nnnrr....." Sam's voice mumbled low in her throat, catching her best friend's attention.

"Huh?" Carly quickly turned her head from the TV and looked down at her friend and watched as her lips started to move. "Freddie! I think she's coming to!"

"Really?" He dropped his newspaper and looked over and saw that sure enough Sam's eyes were moving under her eyelids. "It's only been a half an hour. I thought she'd be asleep for a lot longer."

"Me too! But it looks like she's waking up anyway." Carly paused for a moment. "Even without the fried chicken!" She added as Freddie smiled.

"Where's the button to beep my mom?" Freddie asked as he looked around.

"Right here." Carly reached over to the remote hooked to the bed and pressed the green button lightly, signifying Mrs. Benson that she was needed. She then looked back down as her friend struggled to wake up. "Sam?" She was met with no response. "It's me. Carly and Freddie." She gently explained as she picked up Sam's hand. Carly looked over at Freddie and waved him to come closer. He did as he was told and scooted his chair closer to Sam's side of the bed.

"Yeah, we're right here." Freddie replied as he took her left hand in his own.

_'More people talking to me....and holding my hands...'_ Sam mentally thought as she felt a light touch. Everything felt weird to her, and her eyelids were so heavy. The two friends watched as Sam finally found the strength to open her eyes. They remained quiet as she looked around the room in a daze. From her point of view, everything was just one bright big blur as her pupils couldn't adjust to the light right away.

"Are you alright?" Carly asked quietly. Sam's eyes finally settled on her best friend and she just stared at her. Carly waited patiently as Sam continued to look at her oddly for ten seconds before she could make out an image.

"Carly?" Sam's voice came out weak and quiet, almost inaudible. Her vision felt cloudy to her, as if she was still in a dream, and she was really starting to loathe this feeling. Ever since the ambulance ride she hadn't felt normal and just wished she could clear her head. "I don't feel right.." Sam moaned, shutting her eyes.

"You're waking up from the surgery." Carly explained to her groggy friend.

"I think you just need some time to adjust..." Freddie replied. Upon hearing his voice, Sam opened her eyes and slowly looked to her left.

"Freddie?" She had just now noticed him.

"Hey." He smiled. Sam looked back and forth between her two friends. She started to feel relief and happiness well up in her chest until a thought quickly tore it away. This could easily be another nightmare.

"You're both here..?" She asked, not quite sure if she was really awake or not. Her mind had played so many tricks on her already that she didn't want to be fooled again. "This is real?"

"Yup." Freddie replied.

"We told you we would be right by your side when you woke up." Carly smiled. Sam, still unsure of the legitimacy of her friends this time, tried to sit up. Unfortunately for her, the attempt was pointless as she couldn't feel anything. Her limbs felt as if they were made of lead, and Sam's eyes widened upon this realization. Even though she was able to talk, her mind flashed back to her nightmare of not being to control or move her own body.

"I can't move....and I'm cold." Sam replied worriedly as an icy chill went up her spine. "Am I dead?" She looked up at her best friend.

"What? No, you're not.." Carly replied softly. "You're in the hospital." She tried to explain as she watched Sam close her eyes. Just then Mrs. Benson appeared in the doorway.

"Is everything alright?" She walked over with the clipboard in hand. Freddie turned around towards his mom.

"Sam just woke up." He explained.

"She says she can't move and that she's cold." Carly added. "Also I don't think she knows what's going on exactly." Mrs. Benson walked over to the side of the bed.

"Samantha..." She started. Sam opened her eyes and looked at her as she continued to talk. "You're waking up from the anesthesia right now, so you might not have full control of your muscles for a while." Mrs. Benson calmly explained.

"Anesthesia....?" Sam repeated, trying to figure out what she was saying.

"Yes, you were knocked out before surgery." Mrs. Benson replied. Sam stared at her and was starting to remember certain things, such as being in the hospital and getting ready for surgery. Still, all her memories were pretty mixed up from that horrible nightmare and she wasn't sure what to believe at this point. "I..." Sam started to say before she noticed that the room was beginning to tilt, and all of her friends were starting to spin. "The room's moving.." She choked out, fearful that she was still in a nightmare and was going to teleport once more to some god forsaken place.

"It's alright honey. Just relax and take a deep breath." Mrs. Benson advised. Sam shut her eyes and did as she was told. When she reopened them, the feeling hadn't subsided.

"Is this supposed to happen?" Carly looked up at Freddie's mom. "Is she supposed to feel this way?"

"People tend to have different reactions when waking up from anesthesia. Confusion and dizzyness are a few of them." Mrs. Benson explained.

"It's not going away!" Sam yelped out as she started to breathe heavily. The movement was beginning to make her stomach turn. "I-I-I don't feel good." She spoke frantically, starting to shake. Carly and Freddie's eyebrows went up in worry.

"Try and stay calm." Mrs. Benson replied softly, having gone through this many times with other patients. The two kids watched as she turned around and grabbed something from a shelf behind the bed. It was a medium sized basin. "Carly, can you help her sit up?"

"Of course." Carly replied as she stood up from her seat and sat down next to Sam on the bed. She gently reached underneath her friend's back and slowly raised her up into a sitting position. Carly realized that Sam had no strength whatsoever so she had to support her full weight. The only movement she felt from her friend's body were small shivers as Sam laid against her. Freddie reached over and grabbed the remote that controlled the mechanical aspects of the bed's mattress and pushed the button that helped raise the top part into a sitting position so Carly would have some backing and be able to support Sam better.

"Here." Mrs. Benson held the basin in front of her patient, fully aware of what was going to happen next.

"Uh..." The sick girl lurched forward and started to gag. Carly kept her hold on her friend's body steady and held the bottom of her chin up so Sam wouldn't miss the basin, as she realized her friend was too weak to even hold up her own head properly. Freddie reached over and helped pull Sam's hair back so it didn't get it the way. After a few moments, Sam finally heaved the contents of her stomach into the container, which by now was mostly just liquid.

"Mom, is this normal?!" Freddie asked worriedly as he watched his friend shiver and continue to get sick.

"Yes, this is common..." Mrs. Benson replied, keeping the basin in place. "Some patients react to anesthesia this way."

"But I thought people were just supposed to wake up from it?" Freddie responded.

"Most do, but some can wake up nauseous from it's effects." Mrs. Benson explained as Sam threw up once more. "Unfortunately Samantha is one of those people."

"But she's not only sick, she's shivering!" Carly replied, worriedly holding onto Sam's shaking body.

"Yeah!" Freddie replied as he continued to hold up Sam's hair in a ponytail.

"She's having a negative reaction to the anesthesia, but it's not life threatening." Mrs. Benson confirmed, seeing the scared expressions on the children's faces. "Like I said, some patients wake up with these symptoms, and the only way for it to go away would have to be for the anesthesia to run it's course and leave her body. I recommend that she sleep it off."

"No...no sleep.." Sam mumbled quietly, catching that part of the conversation. She was sick of being out of it and wanted to be with her friends, especially since she could now feel them, unlike before when she was a ghost.

"You should really listen to her and go back to sleep." Carly advised, looking down. Sam used what little strength she could find and sat back into her friend's arms signaling that she was done puking so Freddie gently let go of her hair. Sam tilted her head up to look Carly in the eyes.

"No...I wanna stay with you...and Freddie.." She replied, looking over at him sadly.

"Freddie and I aren't going anywhere. Promise." Carly confirmed gently.

"Yeah. Just go to sleep and relax. We'll be here when you wake up." Freddie added.

"But I-I don't want to sleep." Sam's eyes started to tear up, catching her two friends off guard with this reaction.

"Please don't cry....it's alright..." Carly hated seeing her friend like this. It was obvious that the mix of drugs and Sam's stubborn attitude was causing her to become emotionally distraught.

"Mom, are you sure this is normal? At all?!" Freddie stood up from his seat. He had never seen Sam break down like this before, especially over something as simple as sleep since she always enjoyed it!

"Yes, I am quite sure. I'm just sorry that Samantha's one of the patients who has a hard time waking up from anesthesia. Crying is also a normal reaction." Mrs. Benson replied, looking sympathetically at her patient.

"And there's nothing we can do?" Freddie asked.

"Like I said, sleeping it off would be best..." Mrs. Benson looked over at Sam and watched as Carly tried to calm her down. "...but I see she's not interested in listening to that suggestion right now." The woman walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Samantha?" The crying girl looked up at her. "Would you care for some apple juice to settle your stomach?"

Sam sniffled. "Sure..."

"Alright, I'm going to go get you some." Mrs. Benson replied gently. She figured that if Sam had some clear liquids to drink, it might get rid of her nausea and she would be able to fall asleep better. "Will you kids be alright for a moment?" She looked back at Carly and Freddie.

"Yes." Carly replied.

"Go ahead." Freddie confirmed. Mrs. Benson nodded as she picked up the basin to go wash it and walked out of the room.

"Are you guys _really_ here?" Sam asked quietly, leaning on Carly's shoulder and staring into space.

"Huh? Yes we are." Freddie replied, sitting back down and patting her gently on her left hand. Sam glanced over at him when she felt his touch.

"And I'm really not dreaming?" She asked cautiously.

"No, you're not. You're really awake." Carly replied softly, smiling down at her. Sam looked up at her and then back at Freddie. They were both sitting next to her and she could feel Carly's arms wrapped around her and Freddie's hand resting ontop of hers. She finally came to the conclusion that they were telling the truth, and broke down in tears of relief as she started to sob.

"Sam, everything's ok now!" Freddie quickly responded. He looked up at Carly with a worried expression. They didn't understand why she was crying.

"I know, I'm just...s-sorry.." Sam's voice spoke softly, as she turned her head away from him and towards Carly, burying her face into her friend's shoulder, ashamed that Freddie got to see her in such an emotional and weakened state.

"Why?" Carly asked as she looked down at her, gently patting her on the shoulder to try and calm her down.

"I don't know what's wrong with me, and why I'm crying..." She sobbed as a few more tears rolled down. She was truly happy to be with her friends but she couldn't stop the tears.

"Hey, don't worry about it.." Carly replied softly as her friend continued to sob into her shoulder. "It's just the anesthesia. Plus you've gone through a lot."

"Yeah." Freddie agreed as he stood up to grab a box of tissues from the counter. "We don't mind if you cry or not." He pulled a few out and handed them to Sam as she looked over at him. "As long as you're ok, that's all that matters."

"Thank you." Sam replied as she gratefully took the tissues from him and started to wipe her eyes. Suddenly she didn't feel so bad about letting him see her cry. Freddie was being extremely nice and caring about it...as well as Carly, who must of had a few tear stains on her shirt by now. Sam realized this and started to feel happy until her body reminded her how sick she was with a small shiver. "I feel so horrible.." She croaked out as she finished drying her face.

"Mom says you'll feel better if you sleep it off." Freddie replied as he took the tissues from Sam, walked over to a garbage can, and dropped them in.

"I know...it's just...I can't..." Sam sighed. Every time she fell asleep she had a horrible feeling of uneasiness, especially with the bad dreams she had been experiencing during the surgery.

"Well.." Freddie started off, putting a finger to his chin and looking up in thought. "I could go and see if Ms. Briggs ever taped one of her lessons."

"Huh?" Sam looked up at him confused.

"We could put it on TV for you. You'll be sound asleep in no time." He winked. Sam stared at him for a moment oddly, then smiled.

"You doof." She replied weakly.

"Aw, now that's the Sam we all know and love." Carly responded with a laugh.

* * *

**Gotta say, one of my favorite chapters to write so far!**

**Also, I've read stories where people can wake up from anesthesia cold, sick, and crying so I gave Sam the same symptoms. Luckily her friends are there to calm her down and take care of her! =)**


	26. Bad News

"Aw, now that's the Sam we all know and love." Carly responded with a laugh.

"You guys are great." Sam smiled honestly. She then let out a small shiver. "Geeze, it feels like it's Antarctica in here though."

"You need to warm up a bit." Carly replied, feeling her friend shake against her shoulder. "Want me to get you some extra blankets?" She offered.

"No, don't leave." Sam replied, finding enough strength to grab a hold of her best friend's arm to keep her from moving. Even though her mind was started to clear up, she could still feel the remnants of the fear she experienced when her friends disappeared in her dreams.

"But don't you want to lay down?" Carly asked, figuring she was in Sam's way as she was still sitting on the bed holding her up.

"No, stay with me, please." Sam pleaded with her.

"Ok ok, I'm not going anywhere." Carly quickly reassured her. Sam sighed and closed her eyes, letting her arm fell back down to the bed as her temporary strength wore off. Carly glanced over at Freddie and motioned her head towards the hospital room's closet. He nodded as he understood her signal, and walked over to get a blanket. After he pulled one out, he walked back to the two girls.

"Here you go." Freddie spoke quietly as he helped cover his sick friend with another layer.

"Thanks." Carly replied. She still had Sam in her arms and shifted her position so she was holding her up with just one arm. With her free hand, Carly reached over and grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around Sam's body and up to her neck. With her friend now tucked in, Carly wrapped her own arms around Sam's blanketed shoulders to try and warm her up. Sam leaned back into Carly's embrace as the two girls sat back against the mattress.

"Thanks Freddie, Carls.." Sam replied, her eyes still shut as she felt her friend's body heat start to soothe the unbearable chill. Even though she was still shaking, she felt a lot more comfortable than before, thanks to Freddie's blanket, and Carly's warmth.

"No problem." Carly smiled down at her, feeling her best friend's rigid body start to relax.

"Yeah, that should warm you up." Freddie smiled.

Mrs. Benson then walked back in through the door. "I've got the apple juice." She was holding a cup that had a straw sticking out of it in one hand and a cleaned basin in the other. She set the basin on top of the shelf and turned back towards the kids.

"Here mom, I've got it." Freddie walked over and took the cup from his mother. He made his way back over to Sam's left side and held the straw out to her mouth, knowing she didn't have the strength to hold up the cup herself.

"Thank you." Sam replied quietly before taking a small sip.

"Anytime." Freddie responded kindly, holding the cup patiently as his friend drank. Mrs. Benson smiled as she watched the kids, seeing them take very good care of their friend. When Sam finished her drink, Freddie turned around and placed the cup on the counter.

"Alright, now let's check your temperature." Mrs. Benson stated as she walked over to the counter and set her clipboard down to fix up a thermometer.

"Temperature?" Sam asked meekly.

"She says you might have a fever." Freddie replied.

"But I'm cold...not hot." Sam sighed.

"You can get chills when running a fever." Freddie explained matter of factly as he gently put the back of his hand against Sam's forehead to check her himself. "And you're definitely a bit warm." He replied. At first Sam let out a small shiver when she felt his hand, but quickly relaxed. It was cool to the touch and it felt really good on her head, despite the fact that the rest of her body was freezing.

"Oh.." Sam replied to his explanation, coming to the conclusion her forehead must of been warm if Freddie's cooler hand felt good on it. Plus, she realized she must of had a fever if she actually _liked_ Freddie touching her.

"Alright..." Mrs. Benson turned around from the counter with the thermometer in her hand. "Can you open up?" She asked her patient as Freddie removed his hand from his friend's forehead and moved out of the way. Sam sighed sadly when she felt him back away.

"Yeah.." She responded quietly as she opened her mouth and Mrs. Benson placed the thermometer under her tongue.

"Keep it there until I tell you when to take it out." Mrs. Benson replied as she went back over to the counter to clean up. Sam, not being able to talk, nodded her head in response. Some of her hair slipped in front of her face and Carly reached over and brushed it out of her eyes and behind her ear. She looked down and gave her friend a small sympathetic smile. Sam looked up and returned a half smile, unable to say thanks due to the thermometer in her mouth. Once again with a sigh, Sam looked down and shut her eyes. Freddie and Carly waited patiently until Mrs. Benson glanced at her wristwatch.

"Ok, time's up." She replied as she made her way back over to Sam. She gently took the thermometer and pulled it out of her patient's mouth. "Hmm..." Mrs. Benson stated as she read the results. Sam opened her eyes and looked up at her tiredly. "99.2"

"What does that mean?" Carly asked.

"Her fever isn't that bad." Mrs. Benson replied. "If it starts going down, we won't have to do anything, but if it goes any higher, we'll take precautions." She explained as she put the thermometer into some cleaning solution and packed it up. "As for now, she should get some rest." Mrs. Benson started to say as Sam once again shook her head no. "I know you don't want to honey, and no one's forcing you, but if you do start to fall asleep, please don't fight it." The woman explained to her stubborn patient.

"Fine..." Sam replied. _'But I'm not going to fall asleep.'_ She thought in her head. Mrs. Benson gave her a small smile before looking over at her son.

"Freddie, may I speak with you for a moment?" She asked as she motioned towards the hallway.

"Sure." Freddie replied as he made his way around the bed and walked out of the doorway behind his mom. The two were now standing outside the room in the hallway.

"Listen, I have to go report back to Dr. Smith with these papers. Will you be alright if I leave you alone for a while?" She asked.

"Of course." Freddie replied.

"Now it's common for patients to get nauseous again if they wake up ill from the anesthesia. If Samantha gets sick again, would you and Carly be able to handle it until I get back?" She asked. "I've cleaned the basin and put it back on the shelf if you need it."

"Yeah mom, we can handle it." Freddie confirmed.

"Alright good. Also now that she's had some apple juice, I believe it may settle her stomach and help her fall asleep. If she starts to drift out, please try not to keep her up." Mrs. Benson explained.

"Don't worry! Carly and I definitely understand! We know how important it is for her to get some sleep."

"Thank you so much Freddie." Mrs. Benson replied as she put her hands on the sides of his head and kissed his forehead. "You make mommy so proud." She gushed.

"Aww mom." Freddie gently pulled away from her kiss and wiped it off bashfully. Mrs. Benson smiled at him.

"That's all I wanted to tell you." She replied as she led him back into the room. Freddie walked over and sat back down in his chair on Sam's left side.

"I have to go hand in some paperwork." She explained to all three of them. "If you kids need me, just press the button." Carly and Freddie nodded their heads. Mrs. Benson smiled and left. Carly then looked down at Sam once more as she let out a big shiver.

"You know.." Carly started to say softly. "I don't want to upset you again, but you really will feel a lot better if you go to sleep."

"I don't want to go to sleep." Sam replied sadly, staying firm in her opinion.

"Listen, if you're worried about us leaving you, we won't! We can stay here the whole night." Freddie explained as he put his hand on Sam's leg in a comforting gesture.

"No...it's not that." Sam yawned. It was obvious she was tired, so Carly and Freddie couldn't figure out why she protested the idea of sleep so much.

"Then what is it?" Carly asked.

"These...nightmares." Sam shut her eyes tight. "They feel so real..." Carly looked down at her friend sympathetically.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked quietly, figuring that if Sam talked about them, it may ease the burden on her mind.

"I...don't know.." She replied sadly. Just then the doorknob made a small noise as it started to turn, signifying someone was coming in. At first everyone thought it was going to be Mrs. Benson again, but was surprised to see Spencer walk in instead.

"Hey guys, I..." Spencer started to whisper until he noticed everyone glance over at him, including Sam. "Hey! You're awake!" He replied with a big smile on his face as he trotted over to the bed.

"Spencer..." Sam replied weakly with a smile as she watched the man run over to her. She was so happy to see him.

"Hey kiddo, how ya doin?" He replied gently, patting her on the shoulder as he stood next to the right side of the bed.

"Not good.." Sam responded, shutting her eyes for the moment.

"She's having a pretty bad reaction to the anesthesia." Freddie explained.

"Bad reaction?" Spencer asked worriedly.

"Fever, chills, nausea..." Carly listed the symptoms off.

"Oh man.." Spencer replied gently looking back down at Sam. "I'm so sorry about that."

"I do feel a little better..." She spoke quietly as she looked up. "...now that you're here...that you're all here..." She offered them a weak smile before closing her eyes once more.

"Glad I could help." Spencer replied softly as a joke. Sam smiled once more, not even bothering to open her eyes. During this, Freddie glanced over from Sam to Spencer and thought about her words.

_'That you're all here..'_ He thought for a moment. Everyone wasn't here though. "Hey, Spence?" Freddie asked.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Can I talk to you for a sec?" Freddie asked as he stood up and walked over to the corner of the room.

"Yeah sure." He replied, following Freddie out of Sam and Carly's hearing distance.

_'I wonder what they're going to talk about.'_ Carly thought for a moment until her eyes widened in realization. She looked down at Sam still laying in her arms with her eyes closed, and knew what the boys wanted to discuss.

Meanwhile, in the corner of the room, Freddie turned around to face Spencer.

"Any news?" He asked hopefully as Spencer cocked his eyebrow.

"News?"

"About Sam's mom!" Freddie whispered.

"Oh! Right!" Spencer replied, remembering that was the reason why he ran over in the first place. "I just got so excited about seeing Sam that I forgo..."

"I understand." Freddie cut him off. "So the news?" He watched as Spencer looked down regrettably for a moment.

"Well....there was a bit of trouble." He started to say.

"What kind?" Freddie asked nervously.

"Her mom was uh.....somewhat _delayed _when crossing the border..." Spencer scratched the back of his neck.

"Huh? Delayed? What do you mean?" Freddie cocked an eyebrow, not understanding.

"She was kind of .....caught by the police."

"WHAT?!"

* * *

**Will the madness never end?! Stay tuned for to find out what mess Sandra Puckett has gotten herself into this time!  
**


	27. Things Are Never Easy With The Pucketts!

**Boy did I update at the wrong time! Hope this site fixes it's glitches soon! I want to read your reviews and give you guys a new chapter already. D=**

**

* * *

**"Her mom was uh.....somewhat _delayed_ when crossing the border..." Spencer scratched the back of his neck.

"Huh? Delayed? What do you mean?" Freddie cocked an eyebrow, not understanding.

"She was kind of .....caught by the police."

"WHAT?!" Freddie cried out, forgetting to keep his voice down. Because of this, his outburst was heard across the room by both Carly and Sam.

"Huh?" Sam snapped her eyes opened and looked towards the boys. She was starting to drift in and out of it on Carly's shoulder when she heard Freddie's voice. "What's going on?" Sam asked worriedly as she put her hand on top of Carly's knee and tried to pull herself up.

"Take it easy!" Carly advised as she felt her friend's arm start to shake under her weight due to the lack of strength.

"What are they yelling about though?" Sam asked, ignoring her friend's warning as she continued to try and sit up. Unfortunately she realized that the room started to tilt again as she had moved too fast, but her nausea was quickly cut off as a pain in her stomach made her give up the attempt to sit. "Ow!" She winced as she fell back down into Carly's arms, defeated.

"Careful.." Carly replied, catching Sam as she moaned. "You're going to be sore."

"Yeah, I noticed..." She sighed in exasperation. She hated being this weak and sick as she couldn't even find enough strength to lift her own body up without feeling the urge to pass out. "But still..." Sam mumbled. "What are they t-talking about?" She gave off a few more shivers.

"Not sure." Carly replied honestly, rubbing her hands along Sam's arms, trying to warm her back up. She looked back over at her brother talking to Freddie and wondered what all the excitement was about as well.

* * *

"Keep your voice down!" Spencer quickly hushed Freddie up as he noticed in the corner of his eye that Sam had jumped up, before Carly calmed her back down.

"Sorry!" Freddie apologized. "I just didn't expect......I mean.....the police? Are you serious?!"

"Yeah." Spencer nodded.

"Well, what, uh..." Freddie stammered, not even sure where to begin. "What did they grab her for?"

"I don't know the exact details..." Spencer replied. "But apparently there was a warrant out for her arrest because of some reckless driving she did a few weeks ago resulting in public damages."

"Public damages?!" Freddie asked.

"Yeah. The report said she actually rear ended a building with her car." Spencer explained.

"Rear ended a building?! What in the world?!" Freddie exclaimed. As wild as that situation sounded, something seemed...familiar to him about it. He thought for a moment until his eyes widened in realization.

"Locker 239." He stated in disbelief, feeling stupid for not figuring it out sooner. The police must have finally caught up with Sam's mom after she backed up into the halls of Ridgeway.

"Locker what?" Spencer asked, confused.

"Uh, nevermind. It doesn't matter!" Freddie replied. "How'd you find out about this in the first place though?"

"Well when I went back to Socko and Taylor, they hadn't heard anything from Sam's mom, so I checked with the hospital staff. Apparently they said Sandra called in, to check in on her daughter and to discuss all the medical stuff like insurance and all that."

"Really?" Freddie asked.

"Yeah, but because she was picked up by the police, she told the hospital to allow Sam to be put under our guardianship until she could figure things out. Right now her mom is being taken to a police station here in Seattle."

"Oh, alright then.." Freddie looked down, trying to convince himself that all of this was actually happening. "But does that mean she'll get here in time to see Sam?"

"I don't know." Spencer replied. "I've...uh... never rear ended a building myself before so I don't know how long it's going to take or what's going to happen." He said as he looked back over to the girls. Freddie let out a small sigh.

"Should we tell her what's up?" He motioned towards Sam. Spencer thought about his question for a moment, putting a fist up to his chin.

"I think we should tell her that we found her mom, but maybe we should hold off all the stuff about the police. Who knows? Maybe Sandra will figure it out soon and get over here." Spencer replied quietly.

"Alright, so what do we say exactly?" Freddie whispered back.

"Um, that she's on her way from Canada, but stuck in a bit of traffic. That'll give us some time to see if she can get out of the police station or not. This way we don't have to worry Sam needlessly incase she does get out."

"Ok sounds good." Freddie agreed. The two guys then started to walk back over to the bed. Sam and Carly looked up as they returned from the corner of the room.

"What's the big secret?" Sam asked weakly, glancing at them cautiously.

"Oh uh, we got some good news and a _slight_ bit of bad news." Spencer started off. Carly cocked an eyebrow as she listened to them, wondering what it was.

"What news?" Sam croaked out.

"We found your mom." Freddie explained.

"Huh?" Sam tilted her head to look up at the guys. "Really?" She asked them as they nodded yes. "Wow... that's pretty good." She replied in shock, closing her eyes. "Even the cops have trouble tracking her down.."

Spencer and Freddie looked at each other awkwardly as they both pulled at their collars of their shirts. Sam was too dazed to notice this, but Carly saw their unusual reactions and tried to figure out why they were acting in such a manner.

"Umm yeah...anyways.." Spencer cleared his throat, completely bypassing the ironic cop comment from Sam as he continued to talk. "She was up in Canada, but now she's on her way here. The thing is though, she's stuck in traffic, so she may not be here for a while."

"Oh..." Sam replied, not even bothering to question why her mother was in Canada as she was used to her crazy antics by now. "Alright." She replied, accepting that explanation. Both Spencer and Freddie gave a sigh of relief. "Can I ask you something though...?" Sam looked back up at them.

"Y-yes?" Spencer asked, not completely out of the woods yet.

"Do you know if she was mad at me or not?" Sam asked guiltily. Both Spencer and Freddie looked down at her confused, wondering why she would think such a thing.

"No...why would she be?" Spencer started to say.

"I did kind of ruin her trip..." Sam looked down sadly.

"Sam, she wasn't mad at all!" Carly quickly added as her friend looked up at her. "I spoke to her on the phone, and she was really worried about you."

"She was?"

"Yeah!" Freddie replied. "As soon as we told her what was up, she started packing her things right away."

"Really?" Sam was in awe.

"Of course...silly." Carly lightened up the mood. "You're in the hospital! Would you have expected her to react differently?" Sam looked up for a moment and thought about her friend's question.

"No..." She started to reply. "....but if she was in the middle of dinner, she might have finished it first before getting ready." Sam gave a small smile as she joked, knowing her mother wouldn't be _that _careless.

"Oh c'mon..." Carly replied with a laugh. "She would of at least doggie bagged it."

"You're right." Sam gave a small smile, appreciative whenever her best friend followed through with her jokes.

"But really though.." Carly's voice got a bit more serious. "She wasn't mad at you or anything, honest! She sounded really freaked on the phone. And she did want me to tell you something.."

"What?" Sam asked, pausing for a moment. "...that I should steal as much hospital food as possible while I'm here?" Carly stopped in mid thought and looked at her friend awkwardly. Sam always blurted out the most random things.

"Noooo..." Carly replied. "She wanted me to tell you that she loved you too." Upon hearing this, Sam looked up at her best friend and was at a loss of words for once. Spencer and Freddie stayed quiet as they watched Sam slowly look down in thought.

_'That's right... Before surgery, I told Carly to tell my mom I loved her.' _She recalled. Obviously Carly had delivered the important message for her, and even brought back a response. Sam finally looked back up at her friend. "Thanks Carls...."

"You're welcome." Carly smiled, knowing what she was thanking her for. Sam smiled back, appreciative of the fact that she got to hear a message from her mother. It was heartwarming to know her mom was thinking about her, even if she wasn't able to be with her right now. Sam accepted the fact that her mother made mistakes, as she was prone to quite a few herself, and right now she felt really happy to hear that one small statement. Sam let out another big yawn as she closed her eyes, trying to hold onto that feeling of comfort as her body reminded her once again of how ill she was with a small shiver.

"Alright..." Spencer started to say as he noticed Sam getting even more tired. "I'm going to go out to the waiting room and bring you guys back your stuff...." He explained referring to Freddie's lap top and Carly's magazines.

"Ok." Carly replied.

"Sounds good." Freddie nodded his head. Sam stayed quiet and unmoving with her eyes closed. Spencer gave one last sympathetic smile to her before turning around and walking out the doorway. Freddie looked down over at Sam then to Carly, putting his finger to his lips. Carly nodded in response. The two agreed to stay quiet just incase Sam was falling asleep, which it sure looked like.

* * *

A few minutes had passed when Spencer quickly returned with their items. As he walked in the door, he noticed Sam was apparently sleeping. The kids motioned for him to stay quiet, so he did as he was told. He walked over towards Freddie and gently handed him his lap top, who gave him a nod of appreciation as he set the device on his lap. Spencer then made his way back over to Carly, holding her bundle of magazines.

"You can just put them on the counter." She whispered to her brother as she pointed to a spot. He nodded and set them down where she wanted. Afterward, he turned around and walked over to the door and glanced back at the kids.

"Hey.." Spencer whispered gently. "I'm going to go wait and see if there's uh....any _updates_ on Sam's mom, ok?" He looked over at Freddie who nodded. Carly squinted her eyes as she watched their reactions. It was obvious to her that they were covering up something for whatever reason but decided to ask about it later.

"Bye." The two kids quietly responded to Spencer as he left the room, shutting the door with a small click. Carly reached over and picked up the remote to the TV and waved it up to Freddie, silently asking if he wanted to watch. He nodded his head yes to her signal, so she turned on the TV. It hummed quietly with minimal background noise as she started to skim through the channels. She stopped clicking the remote as Sam let out a soft sigh. Carly looked down at her and then towards Freddie.

"At least Sam's starting to fall asleep now.." Carly remarked softly, glancing back down at her motionless friend breathing deeply into her shoulder with her eyes shut.

"That's good." Freddie whispered in agreement. Carly looked back up at the TV and realized she had stopped on some random program.

"How 'bout this?" She asked him.

"No..." Sam moaned quietly instead, cracking her eyes open slowly. The two kids looked down at her in surprise, not expecting her to still be awake. "......this show stinks." She huffed.

"Sam......" Carly gave a small sigh of disapproval at her friend's insistence to stay up. She was definitely way too stubborn for her own good.

* * *

**At this point, Sam's never going to get any sleep! xP**

**So yeah...the cops finally caught Sam's mom from the whole Ridgeway hallway accident! Yikes! Bad timing huh? (I always figured that the Pucketts made a getaway at the end of 'I Must Have Locker #239'. Too bad it couldn't last. xD)  
**


	28. Go To Sleep!

**Alright, I'm posting this chapter in the hopes of the glitches being gone! (So annoying, no?) And I want to thank you guys for coming back to review the last chapter! It was up for a few days, and it really warms my heart to know that some of you guys read it at first, and then came back to review when the site was working! (I understand that after you read a chapter once, and then get a glitch when trying to review, it's 'give up' time lol. So thanks again for coming back! =D)**

* * *

"Sam......" Carly gave a small sigh of disapproval at her friend's insistence to stay up. She was definitely way too stubborn for her own good.

"What?" Sam mumbled innocently, looking up at her.

"I _know _that you're struggling to stay awake, and you need to stop fighting it." Carly replied. "You're only making things worse for yourself.." She added as she felt her friend continue to shiver sickly on her.

"I'm not struggling.....I'm fully awake. Not sleepy at all." Sam tried to put on a false act but her friends weren't buying it.

"Really?" Carly cocked an eyebrow at her. "Then explain to me why you still haven't noticed that you've started to drool on me yet?"

"Huh? I'm not..." Sam looked over and realized her cheek was indeed laying on a small dime sized wet spot on her friend's shoulder. "Sorry!" She quickly apologized as she wiped off her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Look, I don't care about that..." Carly replied softly. "Just stop being so dang stubborn and go to sleep!"

"No!"

"Ugh.." Carly let out a sigh. "Must you make things so difficult?"

"Yes." Sam replied with direct honesty.

"Alright alright!" Freddie exclaimed, turning around in his seat. "If she doesn't want to sleep, she's not going to sleep." He started to say as Carly eyed him curiously. "So...." He looked down at Sam. "If you're not going to sleep then how about we just talk?"

"Talk?" Sam asked hesitantly as he nodded yes to her. "Ok......about what?"

"This." Freddie pulled out his lap top and opened it. "Tech time with Freddie!" He smiled proudly as Sam moaned.

"Fine! I'll sleep!" She gave up. He looked over at Carly and displayed a triumphant smile as he shut his lap top with a click, knowing that his plan would work.

_'Leave it to Freddie and his nerd lingo to make Sam give in...' _Carly thought as she mentally laughed.

"But can I watch TV with you guys until I nod off?" Sam asked weakly. "I like the background noise...."

"Ok, fair enough." Carly replied. "But I get to choose the channel." She added, realizing that Sam was pretty sneaky and was most likely going to try and suggest that they watch an exciting program which would help keep her awake. Carly wasn't about to let her best friend trick her and Freddie into letting her do that.

"Alright." Sam reluctantly agreed to her conditions.

_'Good.'_ Carly thought as she clicked through the channels, on a mission to find the most boring and uneventful show ever. "Ooh! How about this?" She asked with fake enthusiasm as she landed on what looked to be a low budget local nature channel.

"Photosynthesis: What is it and how does it work?" Freddie read out the channel's description on the bottom of the screen. He looked over at Carly questioningly, obviously not sharing in her excitement to watch this.

"Are you kidding?" Sam asked flatly as she looked up at her friend.

"Nope." Carly smiled, setting the remote down on the counter. The three friends glanced up at the TV as a nerdy looking man wearing big rimmed glasses walked across a field over to a small plant growing out of a pile of dirt.

_**"Photosynthesis**__** is a process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight.**__**.."**_ He explained as he crouched down next to the plant and held up one of it's leaves.

"This show is jank!" Sam complained.

_'Yeah, I'd have to agree...'_ Freddie thought, wondering what made Carly want to choose this particular channel.

"We're watching this." Carly stayed firm in her decision as her friends looked over at her confused.

"But whyyyyyy?" Sam moaned. "It's SO boring..." She looked back at the screen with a look a dissatisfaction.

"No complaining! We agreed that I'd choose the show, and I choose this. Now hush up!" Carly replied to her depressed friend.

"Man..." Sam sighed as she let out another small yawn. Freddie noticed this and finally understood.

_'Oh I see!'_ He thought as he realized what Carly was up to. She was going to bore the heck out of Sam with this awful documentary, making her want to sleep. _'Pretty smart.'_ He thought.

* * *

The minutes had passed as the three kids sat in silence, continuing to watch their program. Freddie was sitting in his chair, leaning on the armrest with his elbow. His head was propped up in one hand as he stared at the TV lifelessly. After sneaking a glance over towards Sam, he couldn't help but smile. She was staring at the screen with the most uninterested look a person could possibly have. If someone were to compare her current face with the one she usually had on in math class, they would of thought that her school face was pure excitement in comparison. THAT'S how badly she hated this program, and Freddie knew it.

_'Kudos to Carly for this one...'_ He thought happily in his head. Both of them had to team up to finally get Sam to admit defeat, both physically and mentally. Freddie took care of the mental part, by threatening her with some tech talk, and Carly took care of the physical part, by making her watch this horrible documentary. He looked back at the TV, and his smile started to fade. Even though their plan was genius, both he and Carly had to suffer through this unbearable show as well.

_**"Although photosynthesis can occur in different ways in different species, some features are always the same. For example, the process always begins when energy from light is absorbed..." **_The man continued to speak on the screen, crouching next to the plant and pausing every once in a while to push his glasses back up on his crooked nose.

Sam continued to stare at the TV in a zombie like state._'Darn you Fredward....Carls...'_ She thought tiredly. She realized her friends were wise to her plan of using TV as a diversion from sleep right from the beginning, and they had counteracted it perfectly by making her agree to sit through this dull documentary instead of a more exciting show. _'You guys know me too well..'_ Sam gave a small shiver as she yawned. Her head felt like a weight, and her eyes were getting increasingly harder to keep open. She still felt really shaky and sick, and watching some nerdy scientist give a lesson on photography or whatever wasn't helping. _'Fine...you guys....win...'_ Her last thought faded off as she finally allowed herself to drift out of consciousness, succumbing to the sleep she had so desperately wanted to avoid.

Carly looked down as she felt Sam become a bit heavier on her shoulder. She noticed her friend's eyes were now completely shut, as her head tilted down slightly, signifying the illusion of sleep. At first she was unsure if Sam was playing possum or not, but Carly decided to stay as still and quiet as possible just in case she was truly falling asleep.

"Hey, is she..?" Freddie started to ask quietly before Carly put a finger to her lips, telling him to stop talking. He understood the message and stayed silent. The two kids then returned their eyesight to the TV.

* * *

The clock ticked relentlessly as Freddie and Carly kept their eyes on the documentary. They decided not to change the channel for a while, incase Sam just happened to conveniently wake up when they found something better to watch. Freddie and Carly made sure they kept the documentary on the screen for at least thirty minutes, even though they hated this program as much as Sam did. They watched as the man on the screen was getting all flustered about some scientific equation, and he couldn't help but look excited as he wrote down various formulas on a small mobile chalkboard.

_**"The overall equation for the light-independent reactions in green plants is..." **_The man spoke fast as his piece of chalk clacked along the chalkboard. _**"This!"**_ He turned the board around to show the camera.

_**3 CO2 + 9 ATP + 6 NADPH + 6 H+ → C3H6O3-phosphate + 9 ADP + 8 Pi + 6 NADP+ + 3 H2O **_

"What in the world...?" Carly replied quietly, not making heads or tails of the various letters and numbers.

"Hey, I think I see water. H2O." Freddie pointed to the screen.

"Yeah, you're right." Carly responded as she saw the last characters make some sense in the confusing equation.

"I should become a scientist." Freddie spoke proudly, sitting back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head.

"Yes Dr. Benson." Carly replied playfully. "You've discovered the ingenious formula for water! What would humanity do without you?"

"Go thirsty." He winked at her as the two kids chuckled quietly. As their laughter started to calm down, Freddie looked over at Sam. "So, is she finally...?"

"Yeah." Carly replied, glancing down at her best friend, seeing her chest rise up and down with the calm rhythm of breathing, signaling a deep sleep. "I wasn't sure at first, but she's really out now."

"That's good." Freddie smiled. "At least I didn't have to go and find a tape of Ms. Brigg's lesson."

"True." Carly replied. "Although this dude may be even worse.." She added, pointing towards the screen. Just then the door opened and Spencer walked in.

"Hey guys.." He started to say before both Carly and Freddie shushed him. "What?" He whispered.

"Sam finally went back to sleep." Freddie explained.

"Oh yeah! Right!" Spencer responded, forgetting that he needed to keep his voice down. "But I thought she was already asleep when I left."

"No." Carly started to say. "She was faking it at first. But we finally got her to go to sleep and it was hard to get her to do it! So don't wake her."

"Sorry!" Spencer quietly apologized. "How'd you get her to fall sleep?" He asked, curious as to how difficult it may have been.

"We made her watch this program about photosynthesis." Freddie pointed towards the TV. Spencer looked over at the screen and watched the man for a few seconds as he continued to talk about scientific equations.

"My god.." He turned his head back over to the kids slowly. "She never had a chance."

"Nope." Carly smiled.

"That program is like a sedative for your eyes!" Spencer replied quietly as he walked over to the kids.

"I know, it was Carly's evil plan." Freddie smirked.

"Well, when you're dealing with Sam, sometimes you have to sink to her level and play dirty." Carly chuckled.

"Very true! So..." Freddie covered up a yawn as he began to speak. "Any updates with Sam's mom?"

"No, none yet..." Spencer replied sadly.

"Oh yeah..." Carly started to say as she looked back down at her best friend, making sure she was still sound asleep. "What were you guys being so secretive about before?"

"Well..." Spencer also looked down at Sam. "You_ sure_ she's asleep?"

"We've had this documentary on for _at least_ thirty minutes." Carly replied, confirming the fact that her best friend didn't have the will power to sit that long through a show like this. "There's no way she's still up."

"Good point." Spencer spoke quietly. "Anyways, the big secret is that....her mom's not really stuck in traffic..."

"What?" Carly asked. "But then, why isn't she here yet? It's been hours since we talked to her on the phone."

"Uh, you see, that's kind of the bad part." Spencer looked over at Freddie for him to continue.

"She was caught by the cops when she crossed the border.." Freddie explained as he turned towards Carly.

"Caught by the......what?" She responded, not sure if she heard right. "You're not actually serious are you?"

"Unfortunately, yeah, we are." Freddie replied as Spencer nodded.

"So wait, you're telling me she got arrested by the police?" Carly asked slowly as the two guys nodded. "May I ask for what exactly?!" She whispered frantically, trying to keep her voice down for Sam's sake.

"Remember when Sam and I both won locker 239?" Freddie asked as she nodded. "And remember when I told you about how Sam's mom destroyed it?"

"Yeah..." Carly responded slowly, her eyes widening as she realized what he was leading up to.

"Well, the law finally caught up to her about that." He finished.

"Aw man...." She moaned. "Why did she have to get caught now? I thought Sam's mom was a master at dodging the law!"

"I guess hearing about her daughter being in the hospital kind of freaked her out.." Spencer added. "Throwing her off her criminal game and whatnot."

"This stinks." Carly looked down at her friend sadly. "What do we do about Sam? What are we going to tell her?"

"Well, she's asleep right now so we've got a bit of time before we have to say anything. When Sam wakes up, I guess we'll have to tell her the truth." Spencer replied. "Freddie and I made up that bogus traffic story to buy some time, hoping Sam's mom would be able get out of the police station soon. But if Sam wakes up before that..."

"Yeah.." Carly replied sullenly.

"But hey, there's still a chance that she could get out of the police station." Spencer tried to lighten up the mood. "So maybe she will be able to get here."

"Maybe..." Carly replied, doubting that would happen.

"Still....cheer up." Spencer put his finger under Carly's chin and tilted her head up to look at him in the eyes. "Like I said before, Sam's going to need you two for support, especially now if her mom isn't able to get here."

"You're right..." Carly replied as Freddie nodded. The two kids understood how important they were to their friend right now.

* * *

**Looks like Sam is finally getting some sleep! Though when she wakes up, will she receive good news or bad news? ....I dunno! I haven't written it out yet. xD**

**(Oh, and all of that scientific mumbo jumbo, I copied straight out of the photosynthesis article on wikipedia. So yeah! Those aren't my words! :P Just though I should mention that!)  
**


	29. The Switch

**Gotta say, Seddie fans are going to like this one! (Don't worry non-Seddies! You can always take this chapter as friends just playing around with each other as well. ;D)**

* * *

A short amount of time had passed since Spencer left the room once more, in hopes of getting an update from Sam's mom. His current mission was to do everything possible to ensure that Sandra Puckett made it to the hospital to see her daughter, especially for Sam's sake.

Carly and Freddie were thankful that their friend was still out of it so they didn't have to tell her about her mom just yet. Sam was currently sleeping peacefully against her best friend's shoulder as the two stayed quiet, not wanting to disturb her. The kids kept the TV volume down low and sat in a comfortable silence as they watched yet another show, one that was much more interesting than that photosynthesis program. Carly was resting her chin gently on top of Sam's head as she held her arms around the sick girl to keep her warm. Freddie was still in his chair, sitting Indian style as the two stared at the TV screen.

All was going well until Carly shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Freddie." She whispered quietly. He looked over at her.

"Huh? Everything ok with Sam?" He whispered back as he turned around to face her.

"Yeah she's fine!" Carly quickly replied, not wanting to worry him. "It's just that I..." She looked down for a moment, embarrassed.

"You what?"

"I kind of have to go to the bathroom." She replied.

"Oh." Freddie cocked an eyebrow as he looked at her, wondering why she was flustered. He then glanced over at Sam still sleeping in her arms. "Oh!" He repeated, realizing why.

"Yeah.." Carly simply stated. "I haven't gone since we left my apartment, and well, I don't think I can wait much longer."

"Here, let me help." Freddie got up from his seat and walked over to Carly's side of the bed. "Should we lay her down against the mattress?" He asked, not sure how to go about dealing with Sam.

"I think she's still cold. She hasn't stopped shaking." Carly replied, knowing that she was a big source of heat for her sick friend. "She might wake up with my body heat gone."

"So....should we like...switch or something?" Freddie nervously asked.

"Would you mind? I won't be long." Carly replied.

"No I don't mind, but...uhm...how?" Freddie spoke nervously, eyeing the two girls, unsure of how to do such a thing.

"Here. I'll go back, and you go forward." Carly explained as she leaned away from her friend slowly so Freddie could slip his arms between the two girls and support Sam's back. As Carly backed away, Freddie gently moved in, making sure Sam's head rolled lightly from Carly's shoulder to his own with minimal movement. When Freddie was practically sitting on top of Carly, she managed to squeeze her way out from underneath him. With her out of the way, Freddie slowly settled down onto the bed next to Sam as she continued to sleep against him. Carly stood up and looked at them, happy they hadn't waken up their friend. Freddie looked over at Carly and smiled, glad they made a successful switch.

"I'll be right back." Carly assured him. She then walked out the doorway on her quest to find a bathroom. Now it was just Freddie and Sam in the room.

He let out a small sigh of relief as he looked down. Sam laid against him, sleeping peacefully as she had been with Carly before. After a few moments, his eyes widened in realization. _'I'm sitting here with Sam! Sam Puckett! The girl who beats me up just for looking at her the wrong way! And here I am with my ARMS around her!' _He gulped nervously as he felt his heartbeat increase. The only time he had ever been this close to her was when she was pinning him to the ground, and now he was _hugging_ her. Being this close to her without a punch to the arm was definitely a shock to his system.

"Mmm..." Sam let out a small mumble as Freddie froze in place. There was a distinct possibility he could be killed if she woke up with her old personality back. He waited cautiously for her eyes to open, but they didn't. Instead, what she did surprised him. Instead, Sam reached around his waist and snuggled her face into the crook of his neck, settling herself closer to him. Freddie's heartbeat increased even more, if possible. He decided to remain completely still for a little while longer, just incase she was on the verge of waking up. When she continued to breathe deeply, he finally came to the conclusion that she was still sound asleep.

"Phew.." He let out a deep breath he didn't realize he had been holding in. The minutes ticked by as Freddie felt his heartbeat start to return to normal. He looked down at Sam and realized that Carly was right. She was still giving off quite a few shivers, so he pulled up the blanket up a little more to cover her shoulders. Just then Carly returned through the doorway, with a bottle in her hand.

"I'm back and I even brought some ginger ale for Sa..." Carly started to whisper but stopped when she saw Freddie look at her. "Whoa, are you ok? You look pale." She walked over to them.

"I'm fine." Freddie's voice started to crack so he paused and cleared his throat. "Uh I mean I'm fine." He stated, trying to sound more composed.

"You sure?" Carly asked, eyeing him curiously.

"Yeah." Freddie replied quickly. "Just my usual reaction to Sam." He added with a small cautious laugh.

"Why? Did she say anything?" Carly asked, looking over at her best friend who seemed to still be asleep.

"No no, I mean, just imagine if she woke up right now." Freddie explained. Carly cocked her eyebrow, not sure what he was talking about. "Me. Nerd. Arms around Sam. One angry girl." He replied in fragmented words.

"Oh." Carly gave a small laugh. "I don't think she would have the strength to do anything to you."

"She'd find it." Freddie stated flatly. Carly just rolled her eyes and smiled.

"So, do you want to switch back then?" She asked him. Freddie looked at her and then down at Sam.

"Uh, I don't think we should.." He replied quietly.

"Huh?" Carly asked. _'Did Freddie just say no?' _She thought, wondering why.

"Well, I mean, we shouldn't move her around too much! Plus, you deserve a break." Freddie added, realizing that keeping his arms around Sam's body for a long period of time required some amount of strength and patience. Carly just looked back at him with a sly smile.

"Alright..." She replied, accepting his _excuse_ for why he agreed to continue holding onto Sam. "...sounds good." She finished as she picked up the TV remote from the counter and walked over to Freddie's chair and sat down in it. "You going to be ok?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Freddie replied. Carly flipped the TV back over to the guide channel to pick out another show for them to watch. The kids gazed at the screen as various show titles scrolled up. There was a short period of silence in the room before Carly looked back over at Freddie, deciding to have a bit of fun at his expense.

"You like having your arms around Sam, _don't_ you?" She mocked, holding a smug look on her face.

"What?! No!" Freddie replied, trying to keep his voice down, lest he wake their friend up. "It's just that uh..she's not feeling good, and she's cold, and she needs warmth, and um, I have warmth which she could use and I...you..uh..." He babbled helplessly until Carly decided to end the torture.

"Calm down." She laughed. "I was just kidding around." Freddie looked over at her and gulped.

"Nice, j-joke." He nervously replied, his face flustered. "Ha ha?" Carly just smiled and shook her head in response as she looked back at the TV screen. It was so easy to embarrass that boy.

* * *

**So, was there any hidden meaning in that last scene? Or was it simply just Carly pushing Freddie's buttons about his denial of Sam being his friend? (Which she always seems to do whenever they talk about it!). Either way, that's for you guys to interpret! I made sure it can go either way for you different shippers! I'll be working on the next chapter! =)**


	30. Freddie Gets Smacked

Carly and Freddie sat quietly as they continued to watch TV. Right from the beginning of the morning, they knew that this would be a couch potato day. What they didn't realize was how many complications there was going to be throughout it. Freddie looked down at Sam and sighed. He really wished she felt better, and honestly wouldn't mind if she was back to her old abusive self, but still....he did have to think about how nice it was for him to not get a Puckett beating for once. Luckily for him, Sam remained asleep on his shoulder the entire time, sparing him the pain of her fists. Unfortunately, his luck wouldn't last forever.

"Uh..." Sam moaned. Freddie looked down at her and watched as she lifted her head off his shoulder. Carly turned around in her seat and looked over at them.

"I think she's waking up." Freddie gulped. Even though he felt a bit of fear rise up in his chest, he managed to keep supporting Sam up as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Where..?" She asked groggily as she looked around, oblivious to her surroundings once more.

"Hey." Carly smiled as Sam looked over at her, blinking a few times to clear her foggy vision.

"Hi Carly." Sam replied quietly, finally remembering she was still in the hospital. "Where's Freddie?" She asked, quickly noticing her best friend was the only one in the room....or so she thought.

"Uh...right here." Freddie replied slowly. He felt Sam give a quick jump in his arms, before she turned around and slapped him in the face with the back of her hand by pure instinct. Carly's eyebrows went up in shock as she watched this, not expecting that kind of response.

"OW!" He remarked as he brought his hand up to his face rubbed his sore nose.

"Sorry!" Sam replied quickly, not noticing who she whacked at first. Her eyes widened as she finally saw whose arms were around her. "Freddie?!" She asked in disbelief, shocked to see him so close. He gave her a weak smile.

"Hello.." He stated hesitantly in a nasal tone, his hand still cupping his nose.

"Uh h-hi." Sam replied shakily. She was too stunned and weak to feel any other type of emotion, such as anger. Plus, she noticed that laying on him felt....comfortable, just like it had been with Carly. Of course she'd never admit it to him. "Um....when'd you guys...?" Sam pointed to Freddie and then to Carly. "Didn't I fall asleep on you?" She thought out loud as she looked at her best friend.

"You did." Carly smiled. "But I had to go to the bathroom so Freddie took over for me."

"Took over?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." He replied as he looked over at her. "You were cold and stuff so we..."

"Oh." Sam cut him off, realizing what the two had done for her. "...thanks guys." She replied, grateful for them keeping her warm. She then looked up at Freddie. "And I'm uh, sorry for hitting you in the face. I didn't mean to. I was just...caught off guard.." Sam explained, feeling guilty. Freddie looked over at Carly with shock on his face.

"No worries." He replied slowly, quite amazed at the fact that Sam had just apologized for smacking him.

"So how are you feeling?" Carly asked her friend softly as she leaned forward in her chair.

"I feel.." Sam thought for a moment and frowned. Because she was surprised to see Freddie next to her, she didn't notice how ill she felt until now. "I still don't feel so good." She mumbled. Freddie looked down at her and watched her swallow hard. His mom had warned him about the nausea coming back.

"You going to be sick?" He asked gently. Sam nodded yes in his arms as he looked up at Carly.

"On it!" She replied, quickly getting up from her seat. She walked over to the shelf, grabbed the basin, and made her way back over to the bed and held it up to Sam. "Here you go." Carly responded softly as Freddie helped Sam back up into a sitting position.

"Urg...." She leaned forward and instantly puked out the apple juice she had drank earlier. Carly patiently held the basin in front of Sam as she brushed the hair out of her friend's eyes. Sam coughed and spat out a few more mouthfuls of liquid before the horrible feeling started to subside. After a little while Freddie felt the sick girl lean back into him, signaling she was done.

"Feel better?" Carly asked, setting the basin to the side. Sam nodded weakly against Freddie's shoulder.

"For the moment.." Sam responded. "My mouth tastes horrible though.." She muttered, licking the roof of it, trying to get the taste of puke off her tongue.

"Here." Carly walked over to the sink, grabbed a glass that was sitting on it, and filled it up with a quarter of water. "Take this to rinse and spit." She held the glass up to her friend. Sam made a feeble attempt to reach for it but felt her hand loose strength as it fell back down to the bed. "I'll help you." Carly gently reached over and tilted the glass towards Sam's mouth, helping her sip it. Freddie sat there watching them patiently. When the glass was empty, Carly put it down on the floor and picked up the basin. "Spit into here." Sam nodded as she swished the water around in her mouth and spat it back out.

"Thanks." She replied, grateful to get rid of the taste of apple puke.

"No problem." Carly smiled as she picked up the glass and basin and walked over to the sink to rinse them both out.

"So I guess you're still not feeling the best huh?" Freddie asked as he looked down at Sam.

"No.." She replied sadly. "What is with this anesthesia stuff?" She asked as she let out a yawn.

"I guess it just doesn't agree with you." Carly replied, shutting off the sink and walking back over.

"Well....I don't agree with it either." Sam smiled as Carly gave a small laugh. Freddie then felt the girl shift uncomfortably a bit in his arms.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Just a bit scrunched up." She replied. She had been sleeping in roughly the same position for a while now, and was starting to get the feeling back in her muscles. They were quite sore from the lack of movement.

"You want to lay down?" Freddie offered.

"Yeah." She replied. She had loved falling asleep on her friends and feeling their warmth, but her body was protesting the position now. Her muscles needed to move, despite how much she wanted to stay in Freddie's arms.

"Alright, hold on." Freddie gently backed away from Sam's body as he led her down to the mattress slowly. Carly noticed Sam wince a bit as she bent down.

"You ok?" She asked worriedly, seeing a bit of pain on her friend's face.

"Just my stomach. It hurts when I move." Sam explained as Freddie finished settling her down onto the bed. He removed his hands from underneath her back and stood up.

"That's to be expected, considering the surgery and all." Carly replied.

"True." She sighed.

"Is that good?" Freddie asked, making sure Sam was comfortable.

"Yes, thank you."

"You're welcome." He smiled.

"Do you want the mattress moved back down?" Carly asked, noticing the top half of it was still angled into an upright position.

"No, it's ok. I like sitting up a bit. That way I can see you guys eye to eye." Sam replied, hating the way people looked down at her when she was lying in a bed. It made her feel small and weak.

"Alright." Carly replied.

"So...what have you guys been doing since I was out of it?" Sam asked, realizing a lot a time had passed as the sun was starting to set in the window.

"Well.." Carly sat back down in her chair on the right side of the bed as Freddie made his way back over to his own seat on the left. "We've just been watching TV."

"TV?" Sam asked as her friends nodded. "Let me guess.." She put a finger to her chin. "As soon as I fell asleep, the channel mysteriously switched over from Professor Snorefest's exciting world of photosynthesis?" She asked flatly.

"No!" Freddie replied. "We actually kept that program on for a whole thirty minutes before we switched it off." He stated proudly.

"But you still eventually changed the channel?" Sam asked suspiciously.

"Well..yeah." Freddie replied.

"And I thought you were just soooo excited to watch that program, huh Carls?" Sam stated sarcastically, looking back over to her best friend with a knowing smile.

"Ok, ok, you caught me!" Carly held her hands up in defense. "I wasn't interested in that program....like...at all." She admitted defeat. "You mad?"

"Nah." Sam replied casually. "You had to do what you had to do. I was being difficult."

"Yes, you were." Carly agreed with a small laugh. "But did you sleep ok?" She asked softly, remembering the reason why her best friend didn't want to go to sleep in the first place was because of some nightmare that freaked her out. She watched as Sam looked down for a moment in thought

"Actually, yeah I did." She replied, having no recollection of any dreams or nightmares. Other than the nausea from waking up, she felt pretty refreshed from her sleep. Maybe it was because of the fact that her friends were right by her side this time.

"That's good." Freddie smiled. As if on cue, the door to the room opened and Mrs. Benson walked in.

"Hi mom." Freddie greeted her.

"Hello Freddie! Well...I see my patient is awake once more." The woman smiled as she made her way back over to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better. I'm still a bit cold.." Sam replied. "But I'm not as shaky as before."

"Seems like the anesthesia is starting to work it's way out of your system." Mrs. Benson replied with a smile.

"How long is that going to take?" Sam wondered. Although the cold feeling was going away, she still felt pretty nauseous.

"It should take roughly 48 hours." Mrs. Benson explained.

"Wonderful." Sam moaned. "Two more days of puking my brains out.." She sighed as she closed her eyes. Carly and Freddie looked down at her sympathetically.

"Let's check on that fever." Mrs. Benson said as she walked over to the counter and set up the thermometer again just like she had done before. When she turned around, Sam opened her mouth for her, knowing the routine by now. The woman placed the device under her tongue, and the gang sat in silence, waiting for the results. "Alright..." Mrs. Benson stated as she pulled the thermometer out. "Hmm...98.9. It's going down slowly." She smiled to the kids.

"Great!" Carly replied.

"Alright, do you guys need anything?" Mrs. Benson asked as she started to pack up the thermometer supplies.

"Well, actually, I kind of do have to go to the bathroom." Sam replied, attempting to sit up. "I guess I didn't puke out all of the apple juice." She gave a light smile. "So where is it?"

"Oh Samantha..." Mrs. Benson replied as she walked back over to her patient and gently pushed her back down. "That's what the catheter is for."

"The what?" Sam asked, not sure what she was talking about. Carly and Freddie looked at each other oddly. They knew what one was and realized that Sam wasn't going to like the news.

"A catheter is a tube that well..." Mrs. Benson walked over to her patient and explained the rest to her quietly. Sam's eyes went wide.

"IS THAT WHAT THAT IS?!" She cried out, knowing she had been feeling some sort of discomfort all this time. "I thought that was just from the surgery!"

"No, honey, that's the catheter, and it's to help you so you don't have to get out of bed to use the bathroom."

"HELP ME?! This is not helping me!" Sam yelled out.

"Please calm down." Mrs. Benson advised. Sam looked at her for a moment before glancing back over at Carly and Freddie, suddenly feeling embarrassed with them sitting right next to her. She sat back into her bed and moaned.

"Why me?" She looked up at the ceiling as her face became red. "I hate my life." She mumbled as she shut her eyes and put her hands over her face.

"Um look..." Carly spoke gently as she stood up from her seat, noticing her friend's distress. "Freddie and I can go down to the cafeteria for a while and grab some dinner." She explained, wanting to give Sam some privacy.

"Yeah." Freddie agreed as he stood up and walked over next to Carly.

"Thanks.." Sam replied gratefully, looking back up at them.

"Would you like us to bring you back anything?" Carly asked as she and Freddie made their way towards the door.

"Yeah." Sam replied. "A pair of scissors and a toilet."

* * *

**Lol, poor Sam. I've never been hooked up to a catheter and don't know what it feels like, so um yeah, I guessed while writing that part. I hope I never have to use one! :o**

**(In case some of you guys still don't know what it is, it's a tube that goes into you -both male or female- which allows you to go to the bathroom (number one) in bed without getting up. Highly embarrassing if you ask me! :P)  
**


	31. I'd Like A Pizza and One Puckett Please

"No Sam.." Carly started to say. "I don't think we can bring you a pair of scissors and a toilet." She gave a small laugh.

"It was worth a shot." Sam shrugged with a light smile.

"Still, do you want anything else?" Freddie asked.

"Nah.." Sam replied. Just the thought of food made her sick to her stomach.

"Alright, we'll see you in a little bit." Carly stated as she opened the door.

"Bye." Freddie gave a small wave.

"Bye.." Sam replied softly, waving back to them. She sighed as she watched her friends leave the room. She then looked over towards Mrs. Benson and thought of another obstacle she may come across later. "Uh, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." She replied.

"For _possible_ future reference, what happens when I have to go um.....the _other_ type of bathroom." Sam eyed her curiously. If the woman suggested any sort of tube, she was going to make a run for it.

* * *

Carly and Freddie left their friend's room and started to walk down the hall. They decided to go back to the waiting area first to see how Spencer was doing and invite him to go to the cafeteria with them if he was hungry.

"Boy, I feel really bad for Sam. I wish we could help her out, you know?" Carly stated as she walked alongside Freddie, not liking the fact that her friend was in a embarrassing situation she desperately didn't want to be in right now.

"Yeah, me too, but in that kind of predicament, there's not much we can do, obviously." He replied.

"True. Although, maybe we could try and find her a pair of scissors." Carly joked, making Freddie chuckle. Just as they got to the end of the hallway, a scream made them jump in surprise as they could hear their friend's muffled voice cry out from all the way down the hall.

"WHAT'S THIS ABOUT A BEDPAN?!" Sam's voice echoed as various people in the hallway looked up towards the source of all the commotion. Freddie and Carly glanced at each other awkwardly, realizing that their friend had just found out about some more upsetting news.

"I feel really bad for your mom too." Carly responded with a small laugh, knowing that Sam was screaming at the poor woman right now.

"Yeah." Freddie chuckled. "I don't know who has it worse. Sam or her." The two kids smiled at each other as they rounded the corner and continued down another hallway

* * *

Carly and Freddie finally made their way back to the waiting room. When they got there, they noticed Socko and Taylor were still sitting in their seats, taking turns as they tried flipping playing cards into a baseball hat that was set upside down on the table. Spencer was standing next to them with his cell phone to his ear.

"Dangit!" Socko grumbled as yet another card missed the hat, fluttering to the floor. As Carly and Freddie walked over, Taylor looked up and noticed them.

"Hey, it's the kids." Taylor nudged Socko's arm just as he tossed another card, making it fly way off the mark and onto an old lady's lap.

"Taylor!" Socko yelled out in frustration as he looked at where his card landed. The woman looked down at the card and then up at Socko, giving him a dirty look.

"Sorry m'am!" He replied. "But flipping cards into a hat is hard." He defended his bad aim. She just sighed, picked up the card, and threw it back towards him. Socko watched as it landed perfectly into the hat. She crossed her arms and looked at him with a smug look. "I stand corrected..." He moaned, upset that little old ladies had more talent than him.

"Hey Carly, Freddie!" Taylor stood up from his seat.

"Hi Taylor." Carly smiled. "I didn't know you guys were still here!"

"Like we told your brother before, we really don't have anything better to do." Socko smiled.

"Hey.." Spencer put his hand over his cell phone as he looked over at the kids. "Anything wrong?"

"No no." Carly replied. "We just decided to run to the cafeteria for some dinner."

"Oh, well I can go and get it for you and bring it back to the room." Spencer offered.

"Um...that's alright. Sam kind of needs some...alone time now." Carly explained as her brother looked confused.

"Why?" He asked.

"She just woke up again and found out that she's not allowed to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. They've got her hooked up to a catheter." Carly answered.

"Oooooh." Spencer replied, fully understanding. "Gotcha." He then took his hand back off his cell phone and listened to it. "Man, when is someone going to answer?" He mumbled.

"Who are you on the phone with?" Freddie asked.

"The Seattle Police Department. I'm trying to figure out what the heck's up with Sam's mom."

"Oh! Any news?" Carly asked hopefully.

"Nah...they keep putting me on hold. And they have awful hold music!" Spencer explained as he held his phone out to his sister. Carly leaned forward to listen.

"That _is_ awful." She agreed.

"Bah, I wish they would just answer my question." Spencer moaned as he returned the phone to his ear. "They keep giving me the go around by switching me over to various departments." Just then the music stopped and a voice spoke on the other end.

_**"Hello. Information desk. May I ask who you're calling about?" **_An unenthusiastic woman answered.

"For the bagillionth time, Sandra Puckett." Spencer stated with irritation in his voice.

_**"Hold one moment please."**_ She stated quickly.

"NO! WAIT I--" Spencer was cut off abruptly as horrible music started to play in his ears once again. Carly and Freddie watched as his face fell in defeat.

"They put you on hold again?" Carly asked.

"Yup." Spencer mumbled.

"Look guys." Socko cut in. "How about I wait on the cell phone while you three go and eat."

"But what if--?" Spencer started to say.

"What if they answer?" Socko asked for him. "I can handle it."

"Alright.." Spencer looked down for a moment. "You guys have done a great job so far." He admitted as he handed his friend the phone. "Thanks."

"No problemo." Socko smiled.

"Good luck with the call!" Spencer called out as he, Carly, and Freddie started to walk away.

"Good luck with the hospital food!" Taylor yelled back.

* * *

The gang had made their way over to the cafeteria and were now currently sitting at a table with their dinner trays. Freddie and Carly sat next to each other on one side, as Spencer sat across from them on the other.

"Uh.." Carly stuck her plastic spork into a glob of brown mush. "I'm not sure what this is.."

"The menu says it's mashed potatoes." Freddie replied.

"But why the color?" Carly eyed her meal skeptically.

"Gravy?" Freddie offered as he looked down at his own brown mashed potatoes.

"Maybe.." Spencer replied as he brought a spoonful of the gunk up to his mouth and bit down on it. Freddie and Carly sat quietly for a reaction, watching him as he chewed. "Nope, that's definitely not gravy." He finally concluded as he swallowed. "Or potatoes."

"Ugh..I don't think I can eat this." Carly moaned.

"Me either.." Freddie agreed, sticking his spork into a few off colored green peas and pushing them around his plate.

"Well, what about the chicken?" Spencer asked, pointing to the main portion of the meal.

"I'm not even sure if it's chicken." Freddie stated.

"Hmm..." Spencer picked up a piece of the poultry off his tray and brought it to his mouth, obviously having to be the group's taste tester.....otherwise known as the guinea pig.

"Well?" Carly asked as she watched her brother start to chew.

"It's definitely chicken...._like_..." He stated hesitantly. "I mean, the flavor's there....but the texture is more smoked salmony-ish."

"Ok, this food is disgusting!" Carly confirmed, pushing her tray away and crossing her arms, refusing to eat it.

"It's not all that bad.." Spencer replied as he painfully gulped down his mouthful of slimey fish chicken. "It only tastes bad when it's in your mouth, but once you swallow, it's pretty good." He gave an awkward smile.

"Yeah...I don't think so." Carly replied, not accepting that lame attempt to get her to eat it.

"Alright alright." Spencer gave in as he stood up and reached into his pant pocket. "Look, there's a pizza place right around the corner. I'll go call and see if they can make us a--" He stopped for a moment as he realized his pocket was empty. "Oh right. Socko has my phone."

"You can use mine." Freddie pulled out his Pear Phone.

"Thanks." Spencer replied as he was handed the cell. He turned it on and dialed the operator to ask for the pizza place's number. Meanwhile, Carly looked over at her friend's tray.

"Freddie.." She stated hesitantly.

"What?" He asked.

"Is it just me or did one of your peas move?" She asked. Both of the kids looked down at the tray and then back at each other, horrified.

"I_ really_ hope Spencer can get a hold of that pizza place!" Freddie exclaimed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Socko and Taylor were still sitting in the waiting room. Taylor continued to flip cards into the hat as Socko sat in his chair, with a blank expression on his face. The phone continued to play horrible music. Finally a male voice picked up the other end.

_**"Hi. How may I help...."**_

"DON'T PUT ME ON HOLD!" Socko screamed.

_**"Excuse me?!"**_ The man asked.

"Uh, sorry! I'm just looking to speak to someone who was arrested earlier today for reckless driving and I keep getting put on hold!" Socko explained quickly.

_**"Oh..."**_ The man's voice paused for a moment. _**"Can I have the last name of the person you're looking for?"**_

"Puckett." Socko answered, glancing over at his brother and giving him a thumbs up, showing that he was making progress.

_**"Hmmm...Puckett...let me check our files."**_ The man replied as rusting around could be heard in the background. _**"Oh my lord.."**_ Socko cocked an eyebrow as he heard the man on the other end murmur.

"Anything wrong?" Socko asked hesitantly. He then heard a loud thump on the other end. "What was that?!"

_**"Oh nothing! Sorry! I was just setting the Puckett folder on my desk. This thing is the size of a dictionary! I'm gonna need a first name."**_ The man explained. _**"There are like hundreds of Pucketts in here!" **_He remarked in disbelief.

"Oh uh, her name is Sandra Puckett." Socko replied.

_**"Sandra...Sandra.." **_The man spoke to himself quietly as he flipped through the various pages. _**"Oh yes, here she is. What concerns do you have with her?"**_

"You see, her kid's in the hospital, and we were hoping she would be allowed to come over here."

_**"What's her kid's name?"**_ The man asked.

"Samantha Puckett."

_**"And what hospital?"**_

"Schneider's Medical Complex."

_**"Alright.." **_The man replied, jotting down a few notes. _**"I'm going to switch the call over to her holding cell guard."**_

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Socko replied.

_**"You're welcome."**_ The man answered before music started to play once more.

"So?" Taylor asked.

"They're switching the call over to Sandra's guard."

"Nice job."

"Thanks." Socko replied, happy they were finally getting somewhere.

* * *

Freddie and Carly watched happily as Spencer ordered a pizza. Their stomach gurgled when he listed off the toppings.

"Um yes, I'd like pepperoni and extra cheese on one half.." He then put his hand over the phone and looked at the kids. "You guys?"

"Pepperoni too." Carly answered.

"Same." Freddie confirmed.

"Annnnd the same on the other half." Spencer finished into the phone.

**_"So, you like, want a full pizza of pepperoni?"_** The employee asked.

"Yes." Spencer answered.

**_"Alright, is this a pickup or a delivery?" _**

"Uh, can you deliver to a hospital?" Spencer wondered.

**_"Schneider's Medical Complex?"_** The guy asked.

"That's the one."

**_"Oh yeah sure."_** The man answered. **_"We deliver there ALL the time."_**

_'That's not surprising...'_ Spencer thought as he glanced back at his dinner tray. "Thanks! My name is Spencer Shay, and I'll be the guy in the tuxedo."

**_"Seems a bit fancy for pizza."_** The guy remarked. **_"We'll be there in fifteen minutes at the visitor entrance."_**

"Sounds great! Bye!"

**_"Bye." _**The man hung up. Spencer clicked off the phone and handed it back to Freddie.

"Pizza's on the way!" Spencer spoke excitedly to the kids.

"Sweet!" Carly replied.

"Yeah!" Freddie agreed. The two were starving, and a nice fresh pizza sounded amazing.

"So, I was thinking we should head back to Socko and Taylor, and see what's up." Spencer stated as he started to stand up.

"Good idea." Freddie replied as he and Carly grabbed their trays and also got up. All three of them walked over to a garbage can and tossed their dinners in, where it belonged.

"Let's go." Spencer said as he started to lead the way out of the cafeteria.

* * *

Socko and Taylor were still sitting in their seats. Socko held the phone up to his ear, continuing to listen to the music that had been playing for five minutes straight now. He was waiting for the man to switch over the call to Sandra's holding cell guard, and his patience was running thin.

_**"Hello?"**_ A gruff woman's voice finally answered on the other end.

"Is this Sandra Puckett's cell guard?" Socko asked.

_**"Yeah, who wants to know?" **_She snorted distastefully.

"Um, I'm a friend of the family, and the thing is, although we know she's been arrested for reckless driving, we were wondering if she may be allowed to leave the police station for just a short amount of--"

_**"No."**_ The woman answered flatly.

"But you don't understand! Her daughter is.."

_**"No."**_

"What's wrong?" Taylor asked when he noticed his brother's look of distress. Before Socko could answer, Spencer and the kids walked up to them.

"Hey, how's it going?" Spencer asked.

"Not good." Socko mumbled. "This crazy woman guard won't let me talk." He said as he held his hand against the cell phone.

"Really?" Spencer asked. "Let me try." He held out his hand and Socko handed him the phone. "Hello, miss? I have something very important that I need to-"

**_"No."_**

"But-"

**_"No."_**

"She-"

**_"NO."_**

Spencer just stood there, his mouth hanging open. His friend was right. This woman wouldn't let you get an edge in word wise. "That lady is crazy!" Spencer remarked.

"I know." Socko replied. "Here, let me have another crack at it." He took back the phone and started another conversation in broken and fragmented words. It was obvious he wasn't making any progress. Spencer sighed and looked at the kids.

"I think we need to tell Sam what's up now."

"I think you're right.." Freddie replied, noticing that the situation seemed hopeless.

"Let's go back to her.." Carly stated sadly.

"Alright.." Spencer responded. "Hey Socks, Taylor?" The two brothers looked up at him. "I'm going to take the kids back to Sam and tell her about her mother, ok?"

"Ok." Taylor replied.

"But I won't stop trying!" Socko added. Spencer gave his friend a small smile. He admired his persistent quality, although he doubted it would be of any help.

"I'll see you guys later." Spencer stated as he turned around and walked with his little sister and Freddie back to Sam's room.

Taylor and Socko waved to the group. When they walked out of sight, Taylor turned around and faced his brother. "So....that's a female guard you say?" Taylor asked as Socko nodded. "Here, give me the phone."

"But--" Socko started to protest before Taylor snatched it out of his hand.

"Just leave this to me." Taylor explained as he walked away from his brother and started to talk into the phone.

* * *

Spencer, Carly, and Freddie made their way down the various hallways and were soon standing face to face with Sam's door. Carly reached over and knocked gently.

Sam was sitting in her bed looking up at the ceiling when she heard the knock. "Come in..?" She weakly called out, unsure of who was at her door. She was relieved to see her friends walk in. "Hey guys." She gave a small smile.

"Hey." Carly replied softly.

"Is it alright to come in?" Freddie double checked.

"Yeah sure." Sam waved them in.

"Cool." Freddie smiled as the gang walked over to her bed.

"You ok?" Carly asked, indirectly referring to the catheter situation.

"Yeah.." Sam sighed, tiredly. "That was definitely an experience all right..." She muttered. "So, how was your dinner?"

"Uh.." Carly looked over at the guys who exchanged disgusted looks with her before looking back at Sam. "Not that good."

"Oh...that's too bad." Sam replied.

"Don't worry though." Spencer added. "We ordered a pizza that's currently on it's way. It has extra cheese and pepperoni and.."

"Do you want me to throw up?!" Sam exclaimed quickly. "No details!" She added weakly.

"Sorry sorry!" Spencer replied.

"Your stomach still upset?" Carly asked.

"Yeah.." Sam nodded sadly. Carly looked at her friend sympathetically until she noticed something on the counter.

"Oh yeah!" Carly walked over and picked up the bottle of ginger ale she had brought back with her earlier. "Do you want some of this?"

"What is it?" Sam asked quietly, trying to turn her head to see what her friend was holding up.

"It's ginger ale." Carly replied, walking back into Sam's view.

"Huh?"

"It's supposed to settle your stomach. It has ginger in it." Freddie replied.

"Oh...yeah sure, I'll take some." Sam replied. "I'm pretty thirsty anyways."

"I'll get you a glass." Carly smiled as she walked over to the sink and opened the bottle. She poured a good amount of the drink in and turned back towards her friend, holding the cup out to her. "Here." Sam gently took the glass from Carly and rose it to her lips. When she finished sipping it, she handed the cup back to her best friend and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Thanks Carls."

"You're welcome." Carly smiled, putting the glass back on the counter.

"I see you've got some strength back." Freddie smiled

"Yeah, I get random bursts every once in a while." Sam replied. "It goes away eventually though." She yawned. It was obvious she was tired again. "So...what's up with you guys?" She asked, deciding to make some small conversation. Her willingness to talk died out when she saw all of her friend's faces fall into a look of worry. She watched as Spencer stepped forward.

"Uh, we kind of have to tell you something." He replied.

"...what?" Sam asked hesitantly, not liking their expressions.

"It's about your mom.." He started to say.

"What about my mom?!" Sam asked, starting to feel uneasy.

"Oh! Nothing _really _bad." Spencer quickly added, realizing Sam thought her mom was hurt or something. "It's just that, well she hasn't been stuck in traffic all this time."

"What?" Sam asked, not sure where he was going with this. "If she wasn't then why..?" Spencer gulped, and decided to blurt out the bad news.

"She was arrested by the police." He stated. The kids looked back at Sam uncertainly, wondering what her response was going to be.

"Huh?" Sam was obviously caught off guard. "What?"

"Remember when your mom had laser eye surgery and backed into the school?" Freddie asked as Sam nodded slowly until she understood.

"Oh man..." She mumbled shutting her eyes. Freddie and Carly looked at each other oddly. Sam was acting as if this...happened before.

"Um yeah.." Spencer replied. "So, right now, they're holding her at the Seattle Police Department." He explained as Sam opened her eyes and sighed. "So that means she won't be able to come visit." He finally finished. All three of them watched as their friend's face turned from frustration to shock.

"W-what?" Sam asked weakly. She didn't realize the fact that her mother was unable to come to the hospital until now. She could handle knowing mother was arrested, as Sandra always found a way out...eventually, but something about the news of her not being able to visit struck her emotions deeply. "She c-can't come?" Sam asked weakly as her chest suddenly felt tight as her blood became cold.

"Yeah.." Carly responded softly, realizing her best friend's attitude did a complete 180 upon hearing this news. It was obvious this information hit her hard, more so than the actual news of her mom getting arrested. "I'm so sorry.."

"D-don't be sorry." Sam quickly stuttered in a shaky voice as she smiled back at them. "I'm used to her not being around.." She gulped her suddenly dry throat, trying to keep a hold of her composure. Spencer, Carly and Freddie looked back at her with heavy hearts. Despite how hard she tried to pass off the news as if it were nothing, they noticed her eyes were starting to tear up.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the waiting area, Socko just sat in his seat, bewildered as he watched Taylor continue the call with the police guard. He was out of his brother's hearing distance, so Socko had no clue what he was saying. After a few minutes, Taylor clamped the cell phone shut and started to walk back.

"Well?!" Socko jumped up.

"Well what?" Taylor asked nonchalantly.

"THE CALL!" Socko yelled angrily, not in the mood for games.

"Oh, that?" Taylor asked innocently as if he didn't know what his brother was talking about at first. "She's on her way." He gave a sly smile as he handed the phone back to Socko.

"Huh? What do you mean? Who's--?" Socko started to babble.

"Sandra." Taylor stated proudly.

"WHAT?! How in the world were you able to do that? You were on the phone for only three minutes!" Socko yelled out in surprise.

"I have my ways." Taylor crossed his arms proudly. He then picked up the deck of cards from the table, pulled the top one off and and flipped it into the hat, confirming his talent.

"But?!" Socko was just in shock.

"Hey!" Taylor looked up at him. "Don't ask. Just enjoy." He advised.

"Fine! Fine!" Socko exclaimed. "Let's go and tell Spencer." He added as the two brothers started to walk out of the waiting area.

"Oh, by the way, on a completely unrelated note.." Taylor started to say as he walked alongside his brother. "You have a date with that guard next Tuesday." Socko looked over at him wide eyed with his mouth hanging open.

"TAYLOR!"

* * *

**Alrighty! Looks like the brothers were able to get Sam's mom out of the police station! I know a situation like that would NEVER happen, but I thought it was pretty funny, despite being unrealistic. :P Also, I have no idea how a police station works and all that junk, so you'll definitely have to use your imagination for this. I'm too lazy to research the formalities and stuff like that. xP**

**And it seems like Sam's getting all upset for nothing! Too bad Spencer and the kids didn't wait a few extra minutes. :P  
**


	32. Good News

**First of all, I just wanted to say that I was going to have Sam's mom in this chapter, but then I realized I still have a few more things I have to write out first before posting it up. Anyways, I decided to get this chapter up for you guys today instead of holding off on an update!**

**  
Also, I have one more thing I want to say here. I was just stunned to have my review count go over 500 from the last chapter! I never would have dreamed this story would get so many reviews! Thank you so much for all your awesome words guys! Without them, I don't think I would have found the inspiration (or patience lol) to make this story as long as it is! So thanks again! Now onto the chapter. ;)  
**

* * *

"I'm so sorry.." Carly replied to her best friend. They had just told her that her mother wouldn't be able to come visit, and everyone realized how hard the news hit the poor girl.

"D-don't be sorry." Sam quickly stuttered in a shaky voice as she smiled back at them. "I'm used to her not being around.." She gulped her suddenly dry throat, trying to keep a hold of her composure. Spencer, Carly and Freddie looked back at her with heavy hearts. Despite how hard she tried to pass off the news as if it were nothing, they noticed her eyes were starting to tear up.

"Oh Sam..." Carly spoke quietly, putting her hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"I s-said I'm fine." Sam protested weakly to her best friend as she looked up at everyone. They continued to stare at her with regret in their faces, feeling as if they failed her. "D-don't l-look at me like that." She stated shakily, feeling uneasy as their eyes burned a hole through her.

"Like what?" Spencer gently asked.

"Like, like.......that." She stuttered, feeling the corners of her eyes become heavier with more tears.

"But Sam, it's alright for you to.." Freddie started to say before he was cut off.

"No! No no no no no no...." Sam mumbled softly over and over to herself, as if that would put a stop to her emotions. "Stop it." Sam squeaked out as she felt the tears start to fall. She was ashamed of her weakness and put her hands over her face to cover herself as she started to sob.

"Sam!" Carly quickly sat down on the bed next to her friend and wrapped her arms around her. The girl kept her hands over her eyes as she leaned into her friend's embrace, sobbing softly. She eventually wrapped her arms around Carly, and buried her face into her shoulder, keeping her tears out of view from the guys. "Shh..." Carly quietly hushed her friend as she patted her on the back, feeling Sam choke against her a few times to get her breath back.

Freddie and Spencer were just stunned to see their friend like this. Sam was in no way a weak girl who cried at the drop of a hat. She had to be really upset for something to make her weep like this, and the guys understood that. Unfortunately Sam didn't think they would, and felt ashamed for looking like what she considered to be an emotional cry baby.

"It's alright to cry about your mom!" Spencer tried to explain to her but she just shook her head no in response, not accepting his words of pity. He looked over at Freddie and the two shared a sympathetic look. They didn't know how to explain to Sam that it was normal for her to be sad about not seeing her mother.

"This is so stupid.." Sam mumbled into Carly's shoulder, feeling angry at herself for breaking down like this in front of her friends.

"No it's not.." Carly explained gently. She felt Sam stubbornly shake her head no once more, refusing to listen to them. "You know.." Carly took a deep breath, choosing her next words carefully. "...._I_ cry about my mom." She stated in a soft tone. Spencer and Freddie looked over at her in surprise as Sam stopped sobbing for the moment.

"W-what?" She sniffed, slowly lifting her head off her friend's shoulder to look her in the eyes.

"I cry about my mother too. Do you think that's stupid?" Carly repeated softly, looking at her best friend whose face was now red and tear stained. Sam looked down for a moment, obviously taken back by her words.

"Of c-course not! But that's.....different though." Sam responded gently, keeping her eyes away from her best friend's gaze.

"No...it's not." Carly explained, putting her hand under her friend's chin and tilting her head to look back up at her. "You're crying because you miss your mom and well....I cry when I miss mine."

Sam stared at her for a few more seconds before looking back down to think. Of course she knew her best friend's situation was _drastically_ different than hers, as Sam still had a mother, but just the fact that Carly was willing to even relate her deepest emotions with her best friend's seemingly pitiful ones, made Sam realize how much her friend cared. "Carly I..." She couldn't think of any words to describe her appreciation. "Thank you." She quietly finished, wrapping her arms around her best friend.

"You're welcome." Carly replied sincerely, returning the hug. Spencer and Freddie looked over at each other and smiled. Both of them had tears well up in their eyes at this point.

* * *

During this time, Socko and Taylor finally rounded the last corner of the hospital's recovery wing and were now walking down the hallway where Sam's room was located.

"Room 134 right?" Taylor asked.

"Yup, that's the one." Socko replied. "I just hope that we aren't too late and they haven't told her about her mother yet." He added as the two brothers finally got to the door. They peered into the small window and saw Carly with her arms wrapped around a tear faced friend.

"Uh, too late." Taylor quickly concluded.

"You think?" Socko mumbled as he lifted his fist to knock on the door.

* * *

The iCarly gang sat in silence as everyone seemed to start cooling off from that tense moment. When a small knock was heard, they all looked up in surprise, not expecting a visitor.

"I'll go see who it is." Spencer replied as he made his way over to the door and opened it. "Hello?--Oh, hey Socko!"

"Hey Spence.." Socko replied. "Can we talk to you for a second?"

"Well.." Spencer looked back at the kids and noticed Sam was still somewhat embarrassed for more people to be seeing her in this state, since she turned her head away from the doorway. "Let's talk in the hallway." He added as he walked out and shut the door quietly. The three guys were now standing outside the room. "So what's up?"

"We have some good news!" Socko smiled as Spencer cocked an eyebrow.

"Huh? What?"

"Well, Sandra--" Socko was abruptly cut off.

"Sandra's on her way!" Taylor stated enthusiastically. Spencer was in shock, wondering if he heard right.

"Hey, I wanted to tell him!" Socko yelled to his brother.

"Well I was the one who got her out of the police station!" Taylor defended himself.

"Yeah! Because of a date _I_ have to go on!" Socko spat back. By now Spencer had shaken off his paralysis.

"Whoa whoa wait!" He exclaimed, putting his hands on his friend's shoulders, trying to shut them up for a moment. "Are you guys serious?!"

"Yup." Socko replied as Taylor nodded happily.

"So, she's like on her way here right now?" Spencer asked as the guys nodded once more.

"That is correct." Socko stated with a big smile.

"But how'd you..?" Spencer was stopped in mid sentence as Taylor held out his hand.

"Don't ask. Just enjoy." He smiled.

"Would you stop saying that?!" Socko replied. Whenever his brother said those words, it usually meant trouble for him.

"Wow.." Spencer stated softly to himself, looking down. This was indeed good news. He looked back over at the door to Sam's room and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Socko asked.

"Well, the kids and I kind of just crushed Sam's emotions in there a little while ago." Spencer stated regretfully.

"Yeah...uh...sorry we couldn't get to you sooner." Taylor replied. "But we got lost and.."

"That's alright!" Spencer quickly replied, stifling a small laugh at the image of his friends becoming lost in the hospital again. "I'm just glad you guys got here to tell me. Thanks!"

"No problemo chief! And here's your cell phone back!" Socko replied, handing him the small device. "So you going to go in and tell her?"

"Yes..." Spencer replied, slipping his cell back into his pocket. "But would you guys mind waiting out here for just a little while? I'm sure Sam would like to meet you, but she's a bit flustered at the moment."

"No need to explain. We understand." Taylor smiled.

"Thanks guys." Spencer stated as he opened the door and walked back into the room.

* * *

"Who was that?" Freddie asked as the kids watched Carly's brother walk back in. Spencer noticed that Sam was blowing her nose into a tissue and trying to clear her face back up.

"That was Socko and Taylor." He replied, making his way over to the bed.

"Socko...and Taylor?" Sam asked weakly as Carly took the used tissue from her and tossed it into a garbage can.

"Spencer's friends, remember?" Carly replied, walking back to the bed. "Socko makes socks...Taylor's a tailor."

"Oh, right." Sam gave a small laugh, wondering how she could forget. "Why are they here though?"

"Well, they were the ones who tracked down your mom." Spencer explained with a small smile.

"Really?" Sam asked in shock.

"Yup." Spencer nodded. "After you left in the ambulance with Freddie, I called them up to start a search."

"Oh...wow." Sam replied, starting to like these guys even though she hadn't met them yet.

"Anyways, they had some really great news for me to tell you!" Spencer couldn't help but hop once in excitement. The kids just stared at him awkwardly.

"Uh...?" Sam asked.

"Your mom's on her way!" Spencer exclaimed with a big smile on his face. Sam just stared back at him.

".....what?" She finally spoke.

"Socko and Taylor managed to get her out of the police station for a short amount of time. How they did it? I don't know! But she's on her way." Spencer watched as Sam continued to look back at him with a blank stare. "Don't get too excited now.." Spencer replied slowly.

"Did I fall asleep or something?" Sam asked her friends. Her emotions felt as if they were being kicked around like a hackeysack and she didn't want to become disappointed once more in case this was some sort of weird dream.

"No.." Spencer replied. "You're still awake. This is all true. Honest!" He put a hand over his heart and held up his fingers like a boy scout. Sam looked over at Freddie and Carly and they also nodded to confirm this wasn't a dream.

"Wow..." Sam mumbled before looking back up at her friends with a small but cautious smile. "Then what the heck am I freaking out for?" She gave a shaky laugh as Freddie and Carly smiled back at her.

"Oh!" Spencer cut in. "I'm really sorry about telling you about your mom. If we waited a few more minutes, we could have avoided upsetting you." He stated with a look of regret.

"No no, it's ok." Sam quickly replied. "I appreciate you telling me the truth. Thanks." She gave a small smile.

"You're welcome." Spencer responded, returning the smile.

"So uh..." Sam winced a bit, feeling some pain as she sat up slightly. "Are Socko and Taylor still out there?"

"Yeah, they are." Spencer replied.

"I wanna thank them.." She responded quietly.

"Sure, I'll go and bring them in." Spencer smiled before walking towards the door. Carly then turned around to face her best friend.

"You'll really like them." She explained. "They're cool guys."

"Yeah!" Freddie nodded his head in agreement.

"I already like them." Sam smiled.

* * *

**Socko and Taylor meet Sam in the next chapter! =) And if I can get the chapter down right, she'll be seeing her mom as well!  
**


	33. Socko and Taylor Meet Sam

"You'll really like them." Carly explained, referring to Socko and Taylor. "They're cool guys."

"Yeah!" Freddie nodded his head in agreement.

"I already like them." Sam smiled as Spencer returned through the doorway with his friends trailing behind.

"Hey guys, this is Sam." Spencer led them over to her bedside. "And Sam, this is....Oof!" He was cut off as the brothers pushed him out of the way gently.

"I'm Socko!" Socko gave a small wave.

"And I'm Taylor!" Taylor also waved. The two brothers then held out their hands in a dramatic pose, obviously copying Carly and Sam's initial greeting on iCarly.

"And this is.....!" They both said in unison before trailing off, not sure what to say.

"Uh, a hospital room?" Taylor offered as he shrugged to his brother. Socko nodded and they both looked back at Sam.

"A hospital room!" They both stated together happily.

"That's pretty good." Sam laughed. She had only known these guys for roughly ten seconds, and they already had her chuckling with their version of the webshow introduction.

"Thank you, thank you." Taylor bowed as Socko curtsied with an imaginary dress.

"We rehearsed that skit for a whole five seconds." Socko stated proudly.

"I liked the improvisation on that one part." Sam replied.

"It just came to me." Taylor pretended to blush.

"We're big fans of your show." Socko smiled.

"Indeed we are!" Taylor replied, holding his hand out to Sam for a handshake. She gently reached over and shook it, and then shook Socko's.

"Nice to meet you." Sam smiled. She could tell they were a lot like Spencer with the addition of their own funny qualities, and she really liked that.

"The pleasure's all ours." Socko replied. "It's not everyday you get to hang out with a web celebrity."

"Though I guess it could be if we visited Spencer's apartment more often." Taylor replied with a smile.

"Very true." Sam replied. "I hang out there more than my own house." She gave a small laugh as the brothers chuckled. Meanwhile, Spencer, Carly, and Freddie stood off to the side, watching the three share a nice conversation. Socko and Taylor were the perfect mood lighteners for their sick friend. If anyone else would have seen Sam now, they'd have no clue that she was in hysterical tears just a few minutes ago.

"So..." Sam started to say. "I heard you guys tracked down my mom?"

"Yeah we did." Socko replied as his brother brushed his hand against his forehead, wiping away imaginary sweat.

"That was some experience!" Taylor replied.

"I'll bet." Sam replied, knowing her mother's travel routes. "How'd you find her?"

"Well, I went to the bus station.." Socko started off as Sam's eyebrows went up.

"My mom's not allowed to go on the bus." She explained.

"Yeah...I kind of figured that out when the security guards patted me down and threw me out." Socko chuckled.

"Sorry about that.." Sam replied, feeling guilty enough to apologize for the trouble her family got the poor man into.

"Nah it's fine." Socko held up his hand. "I've gotten into worse situations...." He explained as he glared over at his brother, the source of those horrible experiences. Taylor glanced at him innocently.

"Don't look at me!" He exclaimed as Socko rolled his eyes. Taylor then cleared his throat and looked back at Sam. "And while Socko was out getting man handled by the bus station security guards, I went to Betty's Beauty Clinic."

"You went to my mom's clinic? Did you go in that suit?!" Sam responded, referring to his clothing.

"Yes..I did." Taylor replied slowly.

"Did you get hurt?" Sam asked worriedly.

"No, I made out all right." Taylor smiled.

"Oh good.." Sam sighed with relief. "Because the people there would have thought you were from the..."

"CIA?" Taylor cut her off. "Or the FBI?"

"Yeah.." Sam replied, realizing he _did_ go through the awkward interrogation from the people running the clinic. "I hope Tony didn't scare you too bad." She added with a weak smile.

"Nah.." Taylor stated with a tough look on his face. "I could handle that big guy." He thumped his chest with a fist as Sam cocked her eyebrow at him. "Hey! I only peed my pants a _little_." Taylor defended himself as Sam laughed. "But oh yeah! He did want me to tell you something."

"Tony?" Sam asked curiously.

"Yup. When I explained to him why you were at the hospital, he told me to tell you that he hopes you feel better." Taylor responded as Sam smiled.

"That Tony.... He's just a big teddy bear." Sam stated happily. "Thanks for the message."

"No probs kid." Taylor replied. "Anyways, once your friends at the clinic stopped giving me the cold shoulder, they finally gave me the number to this Wendy chick. Apparently she knew your mom was up in Canada, and that's how we found her." Taylor finished.

"Thanks so much for tracking her down." Sam stated, understanding that these guys risked a lot to find her mom, such as their lives.

"Anytime." Socko replied with a smile. "Though it would have been a heck of a lot easier if you guided us through it!" He remarked, realizing the girl basically knew everything about the places her mom visited, such as where Sandra was banned from and what type of clothing to dress in when visiting certain places to avoid getting beat up.

"I'll try to be conscious next time." Sam smiled as they all laughed.

"So how ya holding up?" Taylor asked softly.

"Eh, I've been better." Sam replied honestly. "But it's not all that bad really. I mean, Mrs. Benson said I'll have _at least_ a week off from school."

"Nice!" Taylor exclaimed as he held up his hand for a high five. Sam gently returned it.

"Gotta enjoy the benefits while I can." Sam smiled before giving off a small shiver.

"You alright?" Socko asked noticing her discomfort.

"Yeah.." She sighed in response. "Just a bit cold from the anesthesia. I apparently have a '_negative response_' to it." She explained, using her fingers as air quotes.

"Wow, me too!" Socko replied. "Same exact thing happened to me when I had surgery on my foot." He explained as he held up one leg. "I was shivering and puking for days!"

"Sounds about right." Sam smiled, glad to hear she wasn't the only one who had this sort of reaction.

"Pft you big baby." Taylor responded to his brother. "She was knocked out for internal surgery for cripes sake! You only had a disfigured toe."

"BECAUSE YOU DISFIGURED IT!" Socko yelled back.

"Well maybe if you didn't stand so close to my rear tire when I was backing up the car..."

"AND MAYBE IF YOU REMEMBERED I WAS PUTTING SOMETHING IN THE TRUNK! OR MAYBE IF YOU JUST LOOKED BEHIND YOU TO SEE IF SOMEONE WAS THERE BEFORE BACKING UP!"

"Details details.." Taylor waved off his brother's words as if they weren't important.

"Oh you!" Socko exclaimed angrily. Sam just sat there watching them with a huge smile on her face. She loved seeing people bicker....almost as much as actually taking part in the bicker herself.

"You should shove that foot in your mouth!" Taylor yelled back.

"OH HO! Know where I wanna put it now?!" Socko spat out.

"Ok guys calm down!" Spencer jumped in before the brothers could say another word. Carly and Freddie just sat in the corner, wide eyed.

"Hey, why'd you stop them?" Sam pouted. "I usually have to pay cash to watch a fight like this." She smiled.

"Oh uh, sorry.." Socko replied sheepishly, temporarily forgetting that he was in the hospital room of a teenage girl, about to duke it out with his brother.

"Ditto." Taylor added.

"Hey, I like free entertainment as much as the next person." Sam shrugged with a smile. She then let out another small shiver, reminding Socko what he was talking about before his brother interrupted him.

"You know, when I was cold from the anesthesia, I used my socks to warm me up." Socko advised her.

"Socks?" Sam asked as he nodded. "Would such a small thing really make that much of a difference?"

"You bet!" Socko exclaimed, holding up his foot once more. He pressed a button and various designs started to light up. "These babies can get pretty warm when you keep them on. Perfect for winter time....or the chills." He smiled. "Hey, are you wearing your socks?"

"Huh? No, I'm not wearing any socks.." Sam replied. Carly finally spoke up from her place in the corner.

"Oh sorry! I accidentally forgot to give your gift to Sam." She explained to Socko as she pulled out the socks from her pocket.

"No worries little Carly girl." He patted her on the head and smiled.

"Did I hear the word gift?" Sam perked up as she looked over at her best friend, straining her neck to see what the two were talking about. Freddie couldn't help but chuckle at this. Sam was definitely easing back into her old personality.

"Mhmmm. Check these out." Socko replied as Carly walked over to the bedside and handed her friend the pair of socks.

"Awwwww!" Sam gushed as she noticed there were chicken drums all over the light blue socks. "Fried chicken!"

"I heard that's your favorite." Socko winked.

"These are great!" Sam replied, beaming at the socks in her hand.

"And that's not even the best part.." Socko reached over and pressed a button on them, making the drumsticks light up.

"Wow, I love them!" Sam exclaimed, looking back at Socko. "Thanks so much!"

"You're very welcome." He replied.

"I wanna put them on..." Sam tried to sit up in her bed, but a sharp jolt of pain made her lay back down. "Ow..." She replied awkwardly, realizing she couldn't bend far. "Guess I can't." She mumbled, laying back into her pillow.

"Here, I've got it." Carly replied, taking the socks from Sam and walking over to the end of the bed to slip them onto her friend's feet.

"Thanks Carls." Sam replied.

"No problem." Carly smiled as she pressed the button to make the socks light up and covered her friend's feet back up with the blanket.

"Wow...those are warm." Sam smiled as she felt the icy chill start to leave.

"Told ya." Socko replied. Just then there were a few small knocks on the door. Freddie was the closest in the room so he turned around and opened it to reveal his mother.

"Oh, hi mom." He greeted her.

"Hello Mrs. Benson." Spencer called out as everyone gave a wave to the woman.

"Oh my, I see we have quite a group in here." She remarked.

"What's up?" Freddie asked.

"I've got a visitor for Sam." Mrs. Benson responded gently.

"Really?" Sam asked wondering who it could be. For someone who thought she was going to have barely any visitors, she was having quite the party in her room.

"It's your mother." Mrs. Benson replied.

* * *

**Ok, I'm so sorry for ending this chapter without the appearance of Sam's mom yet AGAIN! I know how crazy this must be driving you guys lol. But the reason for this is that I'm going to a concert today (40th Anniversary of Woodstock at Bethel Woods! Oh yeah!), and I haven't finished writing the last bits and pieces of their confrontation. I don't have the time to finish it up today, so I decided to cut off the chapter here so you guys would have something to read while I'm out listening to some groovy bands. B) Now the next chapter will DEFINITELY have Sandra Puckett in it. There's no way I can weasel out of it this time haha.**


	34. Enter: Sandra Puckett

**Alrighty! First off I just wanted to say that the concert was excellent! I did get home at two in the morning though, so I was too lazy to work on this chapter then. But I finished it up MUCH later this morning after a nice sleep (obviously, since you're reading this update lol)! So I hope you guys enjoy! Just as I promised, Sandra makes her appearance. =)**

* * *

"I've got a visitor for Sam." Mrs. Benson responded gently.

"Really?" Sam asked wondering who it could be.

"It's your mother." Mrs. Benson replied. Sam just stared back at her.

"My mother?" She asked weakly. She had received the good news about her mom only a few moments ago and was shocked to hear that she was already at the hospital.

"Um hey guys.." Spencer looked over towards Freddie and Carly. "How about we go check up on that pizza?" He asked, wanting to clear out the room for Sam.

"Yeah sure." Carly replied, fully understanding.

"Should be here by now." Freddie smiled as well.

"And Socko, Taylor, you guys want some? I'm sure we'll have extra slices." Spencer asked his friends.

"Definitely!" Taylor exclaimed.

"Count me in." Socko smiled. They then turned back towards Sam.

"Feel better!" Taylor waved towards her.

"And don't let this hospital get ya down. You'll be out in no time." Socko added, giving her two thumbs up.

"Thanks." Sam smiled back. Mrs. Benson side stepped out of the way as Spencer and his friends started towards the doorway. Carly looked over at her best friend and gently patted her on the hand.

"Don't worry, we'll be back soon." She replied.

"Yup." Freddie nodded his head in agreement.

"Thanks guys.." Sam responded with a smile on her face. Her two friends then walked over to the door where Spencer was waiting for them.

"See ya kiddo!" Spencer waved to Sam.

"See ya handsome!" Sam replied, waving back. The two smiled at each other before everyone left the room. Now it was only her and Mrs. Benson left.

"I'm going to let your mother in now, is that alright?" She asked her patient. Sam nodded softly. Her heart was pounding in her chest from anticipation to see her mom as she watched Mrs. Benson walk back out of the room. There were a few tense moments before Sam finally saw someone return through the doorway. Thankfully, it was indeed her mom this time. She was a tall and skinny blond woman, dressed in a white T-Shirt that had a Canadian flag on it and a simple pair of blue jeans. One could easily see the resemblance of the two Pucketts, as Sandra looked like an older version of her daughter, with the exception of a few hard lines in her face signaling a rough life. Sam noticed her mother's shirt and realized she was probably panicking so much that she didn't even change since she left her motel in Canada.

"Sam...." Sandra spoke quietly as she stopped in the doorway, seeing her daughter laying in the hospital bed. She was just shocked to see how pale Sam's cheeks were and how sickly she looked. She knew Sam was tough, and seeing her in this weakened state caught her completely off guard. Her heart sank to see her daughter hooked up to various tubes and machines and confined to a hospital bed.

"Mom?" Sam looked up at her mother weakly. "Hi." She offered a small smile, incredibly glad to see her.

"Hi Sammy.." Sandra quietly replied, making her way over to the bed. She reached down and wrapped her arms lightly around her daughter. Sam closed her eyes and returned the embrace, grateful that she was there. When the two broke it off, Sam opened her eyes and looked back at her mom with a smile before letting it fade as she just now noticed a man in a blue suit was standing right next to her mother.

"Uh.." Sam strained her neck to get a better view of the man. "Who..?" She started to ask, wondering what he was doing there, or why he was so close to Sandra for that matter.

"Officer Charles Dugan of the Seattle Police Department." He explained as he held up his hand to show that his wrist was handcuffed to her mother's. "I'm here to make sure she stays on US soil."

"I came back didn't I?" Sandra responded in defense.

"Still, we're not taking any chances." Charles replied sternly. Sandra sighed.

"Fine, but can I at least have some privacy with my daughter?" She asked. Charles looked at her for a moment and then over to Sam.

"Alright.." He reluctantly agreed as he reached into his pocket and pulled a small key out. He inserted it into the handcuffs and snapped them open.

"Thank you." Sandra replied, rubbing her free wrist. Both she and Sam watched as the officer walked in the opposite direction of the doorway, past the bed, and over to the window.

"Huh? What are you...?" Sam asked as she watched the man put his hands at the bottom of it and try to push it up. When he was met with resistance, he confirmed that the window was locked shut and turned back around towards the Pucketts.

"Just making sure." He explained as he walked back across the room and over to the door, not wanting to take any chances of his criminal escaping through a window. "You've got a few minutes." He stated firmly as he walked out of the hospital room and shut the door with a click.

"Mom.." Sam started to say as Sandra looked over at her. "Do you want me to mess up my heart monitor?"

"What?" Sandra asked, not understanding what she meant.

"I can pluck this thingy off." Sam spoke, referring to the small white device hooked up to her finger. "It keeps track of my heart beat and If I take it off, the heart monitor flat lines. I can make it look like my heart stopped. Then the nurses and doctors will come running in, and you'll have the perfect distraction to make a run for it." She explained.

"Sam! I'm not going anywhere!" Sandra quickly replied. "Not this time." She stated softly as she sat down on the mattress next to her daughter.

"But...the police.." Sam spoke weakly, pointing to the door which was currently being guarded by Officer Dugan. Sandra gave a small sigh.

"Sam...I made a mistake, and I'm going to have to pay the consequences."

"But mom, the plan would work! I..." Sam started to sit up until her mother gently pushed her back down to the mattress.

"No." Sandra explained. "I've got to learn from my mistakes. No more running..." She looked down sadly. "And I'm just so sorry...that in all of this... I hurt you.."

"What?" Sam asked quietly, noticing her mother started to act like she had....emotions. "You didn't hurt me! It was my appendix that hurt me." She began to say as Sandra shook her head.

"That's not what I mean." She explained to her daughter. "I shouldn't have left you alone."

"But, you didn't know that I was going to..." Sam was once again cut off.

"That doesn't matter." Sandra sighed. "I'm your mother, and I should of been there for you, but I wasn't." Her eyes began to water up with immense guilt. "I was a....horrible parent to you." She put a hand over her mouth and choked back a single sob.

"Mom..." Sam just stared at her mother. It was way too weird to see her get this emotional. _'This is how it must have been like for Freddie and Spencer when they saw me...' _Sam thought to herself, remembering how they were speechless and worried when she began to cry. "Please don't...!" She blurted out to her mother. "It's alright...really.."

"No, it's not." Sandra looked over towards Sam. "God forbid you didn't have Carly, Spencer, or the Bensons around. You could of di..." Her voice trailed off as she couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence. The only person who stayed by her side throughout all of the hard times in her life was her daughter, and this whole situation made the woman realize she hasn't been treating her right. If Sam was gone....then Sandra knew her life wouldn't be worth living.

"Mom, please.." Sam responded weakly. Things were starting to get a bit too tense for her as she felt her own eyes start to water up. "I'm not mad at you or anything. This whole situation just...happened."

"But I..." Sandra started to speak but was cut off.

"It just happened!" Sam confirmed sharply then softened her voice. "But I do think we both need to work on our relationship...." She looked down slowly.

"How so?" Sandra asked, desperately wanting to make things right.

"Well..." Sam responded quietly, thinking for a moment. "....I don't like it when you leave without telling me where you're going." She stated hesitantly, glancing back up at her mother with a cautious look.

"Oh Sam.." Sandra replied softly. "That's over with. I'll never leave you alone again."

Sam looked at her with a small smile. "Now let's not get hasty here." She offered with a gentle laugh, picturing her mother turning into Mrs. Benson and shuddering at the thought. "I like having some freedom, and being independent and all that.......but sometimes.... sometimes I really just need a parent...."

"Well then, what do you want me to do, exactly?" Sandra asked, giving her daughter the choice.

"Hmmm..." Sam looked up in thought for a moment. "How about....if you need to leave a while for whatever reason, you tell me where you're going and for how long, ok? And can you also give me some time's notice? That way I can see if Carly will put up with me. I've been feeling a bit guilty lately for dropping by unannounced at her house and inviting myself over for the night..."

"Ok, I can do that." Sandra agreed.

"Also..." Sam looked down at her arm for a moment before looking back up at her mother. "Would you mind getting a cell phone? I mean...I know you don't like them and all...but it's just that..we couldn't find you when I got sick and..." Sam trailed off, looking away.

"Of course! As soon as I get out of the police station, I'll go to a store right away and buy one." Sandra replied, gently patting her daughter on the arm. Sam looked up at her and smiled.

"Thank you. This means a lot to me."

"You're welcome." Sandra replied softly. "I know I haven't been the best mother to you, and I'm really sorry about it."

"It's alright..." Sam responded slowly. "....I haven't been the best daughter either really..."

"What?" Sandra asked, not expecting such a response.

"Well, do you remember when you asked me to clean my room last year?" Sam asked, knowing her mother rarely asked her to do much.

"Yes.." Sandra replied slowly.

"I kind of locked my door and snuck over to Carly's instead. And then I brought her back with me and made her clean my room while I ate the ribs you were saving for yourself in the refrigerator for dinner that night." Sam sighed. "I blamed Frothy for that...and you believed me. You even gave me some extra money for being such a good daughter and cleaning out my room. I lied to you and got rewarded for doing nothing..." Sam replied guiltily. Sandra looked up and thought for a moment, recalling the events of that situation.

"Sam..." Sandra couldn't help but smile as she wiped her eyes off with the back of her hand. "I never believed you." She gave a small laugh as Sam cocked her eyebrow, not understanding. "I mean, what cat has the ability to open up a fridge door and eat a box of ribs off the top shelf? Let alone a three legged cat for that matter?" Sandra stated as Sam chuckled.

"Not one of my better lies huh?" She cracked a small apologetic smile. "Still, I should have told you the truth and never accepted the money."

"And I never should have left you alone.." Sandra admitted. The two Pucketts looked at each other, realizing they both had their faults.

"Look, I'll work on being a better daughter if you work on being a better mother, alright?" Sam held out her hand weakly to confirm a truce.

"Alright." Sandra smiled as she gently shook her daughter's hand and then reached in for another hug.

"Thanks mom." Sam replied gratefully as she wrapped her arms around her mother. The two held each other for a few moments before they broke off the embrace.

"Oh, I do have _one more_ thing I want to ask you though." Sam spoke slowly.

"What is it?"

"How in the world did you get captured by the police?!" Sam exclaimed.

"Uh..." Sandra started to say as she scratched the back of her neck. "You do know that I was arrested for backing up the car into your school right?"

"Yeah, Spencer explained that to me." Sam confirmed.

"Well....the car I took to Canada was the station wagon." Sandra replied.

"You didn't?!" Sam was shocked. "Mom, we knew the station wagon was a hot car! You should have taken the pick up truck! That's why we have it, as back up!"

"I know, I know! I just wasn't thinking." Sandra replied, looking ashamed.

"Well...did you at least switch the license plates?" Sam asked cautiously. Her question was silently answered as her mother looked back at her with a look of guilt, showing that she hadn't done that either. "Mom!" Sam moaned. "That's the most important detail! Always change the license plates on a hot car if you need to use it! You told me that when I was six!" She cried out.

"I know! I messed up!" Sandra replied, realizing she might have told her daughter a little too much about criminal life.

"Newbie mistakes mom...newbie mistakes..." Sam shook her head, disappointed.

"But hey, I don't want to see you caught up in the same situation as me." Sandra added. "While we work on our relationship, I also want you to work on staying on the right side of the law. Don't become like me." Sandra explained gently.

"I dunno." Sam replied. "I mean, my 16th birthday _is_ coming up and driving a car into the halls of Ridgeway does sound like fun..." She stated, fantasizing about driving over Ms. Brigg's head.

"No! Crashing one car into your school is enough." Sandra laughed.

"Fine." Sam responded in fake disappointment before letting off a chuckle. She then gave a small shiver.

"So..how are you feeling?" Sandra asked softly.

"Pretty messed up." Sam replied honestly. "My head feels heavy and light at the same time, and the room is cold. Also my stomach is really sore. I can barely move or bend without feeling like I'm going to pass out. But it's the worst when I wake up. Apparently the anesthesia the hospital gave me doesn't agree with my body, and it keeps making me puke."

"I'm so sorry about that.." Sandra replied, gently patting Sam's hand.

"Don't worry about it though." Sam smiled up at her mother. "Carly and Freddie are taking great care of me. Which is surprising actually.."

"Why's that?"

"Well, first off, Carly's really squeamish, and can't stand the sight of people throwing up. One time, Gibby was her partner at school for a science project and when he was sitting next to her in class, he accidentally got sick all over their desk and she actually ran out of the room screaming." Sam smiled as she recalled that hilarious sight of her best friend being the only one to bolt out of the classroom shrieking. "But every time I've had to puke, she always stays right by my side. I know she's not comfortable about it, but she won't leave or even bat an eye when she's helping me out. She puts aside her own feelings for mine...and I really appreciate it."

"She's a good friend." Sandra stated softly.

"Yeah, definitely." Sam smiled. "And Freddie...well...I insult that little nub everyday, and even he's been taking care of me as well. Did you know he was the one who rode in the ambulance with me to the hospital?"

"No I didn't." Sandra replied.

"Yeah, and even though I can't recall all of it, I do remember him being very nice and caring about the whole thing. I've got to make it up to him.." Sam explained as she looked down, wondering how the heck she was going to accomplish that.

"You've got some great friends." Sandra replied, thankful for all the people who had saved her daughter's life.

"Yes, I do, don't I?" Sam smiled.

* * *

**Believe me, this was a pretty hard scene to figure out! Sandra is a difficult character to use. I have to think more about what she's going to say or do than I have to with any other characters in this story. Between all the crazy things she does, it's pretty hard to show that she still cares for her daughter. I hope you guys found this scene to be believable!** **I personally think it came out pretty good. =)**


	35. Happy Times

"You've got some great friends." Sandra replied, thankful for all the people who had saved her daughter's life.

"Yes, I do, don't I?" Sam smiled. Just then there was a small knock on the door. The two Pucketts looked up to see Officer Dugan poke his head in.

"Five minute warning." He stated, before disappearing back out of the room. Sam looked back at her mother and sighed.

"So what's going to happen to you...with all of this?" She asked, referring to the illegal situation her mother was in.

"I'm not sure exactly. I know I've got a lot of fines to pay and possible community service and probation of some sort." Sandra replied. Sam looked down sadly for a moment.

"I'm sorry.." She replied softly.

"About what?" Sandra asked, not sure why she was apologizing.

"Well..." Sam looked back up at her mother. "I know money's tight and I'm sorry about the hospital fees."

"Sam.." Sandra gently replied with a firm tone. "You don't have to apologize about that. I care way more about your health. Plus it's not your place to be worrying about those costs. I'll handle it, don't worry."

"But--"

"I'll handle it." Sandra confirmed once more. "You just focus on getting better alright?"

Sam looked at her mother hesitantly for a second before responding. "Alright.."

"Good." Sandra replied as she reached down for another hug. Sam returned it, thankful to see her mom was already stepping into her parental role.

"Thanks mom."

"You're welcome." Sandra smiled as they broke off the hug. "Now I do need to tell you something important though."

"What?"

"Because of the situation I'm in, I don't know how long it will be until I'm released and allowed to go home." Sandra spoke sullenly.

"I know..." Sam replied.

"So because of this, I've put you in Spencer's care for the duration of your recovery until I can figure out what to do. That means if I'm not able to return home when you're released, you're going to go home with them, is that alright?" She double checked.

"Of course!" Sam replied. If she couldn't go to her house, there was no other place in the world she'd rather be then at the Shay apartment, as they were her second family.

"I'm glad to hear that because it was either Spencer or your Uncle Herman." Sandra replied. As soon as she finished that statement, the two Pucketts looked at each other and let off a small shiver of disgust.

"Yeah....I'd take Spencer over Uncle Herman." Sam added.

"I thought you would." Sandra replied. "I love my brother and all but..."

"Dude has some serious issues." Sam finished for her. "I still don't know whatever possessed him to sell his house and live in a bus."

"He said he enjoys being out on the open road."

"But the bus has no wheels on it.." Sam replied curiously. "It's on blocks. It can't move."

"Herman never was a smart man.." Sandra stated thoughtfully.

"Yeahhh.....if it's ever a toss up between Uncle Herman or Spencer again, it's always going to be Spencer." Sam smiled.

"Alright, I'll be sure to remember that." Sandra replied as the two of them chuckled. As their laughter died down, a couple more soft knocks on the door were heard before Officer Dugan poked his head back in.

"It's time to go." He stated as he walked in. Sandra sighed and looked back to her daughter.

"I'm sorry Sam..."

"Nah it's ok, don't worry about me. I'll be fine." She gave a small smile.

"I'll try my best to get out as quickly as possible." Sandra replied as she stood up from the bed and bent over for one last hug.

"Thanks." Sam replied gratefully, as she hugged her mother back. Officer Dugan waited patiently as the two broke off their embrace.

"Ready?" The man asked as Sandra nodded her head enthusiastically, holding out her wrist. He pulled the handcuffs out and snapped them back onto her.

"Now you be good for the Shays." Sandra replied as Officer Dugan led her towards the door.

"I will mom." Sam replied honestly.

"And one last thing." Sandra stopped at the doorway. "I love you, and I hope you feel better."

"Love you too mom. And thanks." Sam replied in a mixture of happiness and sadness. She watched as Sandra gave her one last smile before she and the police officer left the room. The door clicked quietly behind them as Sam sat quietly in her bed, alone. She let off a small sigh.

_'I think I'm going to like this whole better mother-daughter thing.' _Sam couldn't help but smile as she closed her eyes and relaxed back into her mattress, patiently waiting for her friends to finish their pizza and return.

* * *

During this time, Spencer, Socko, Taylor, and the kids had made their way over to the visitors entrance of the building. Carly and Freddie were the ones who had to lead the way as the adults were too confused to figure out where they were going.

"Nice job!" Taylor exclaimed as the gang finally saw the main doors to the visitors entrance.

"Yeah, we didn't get lost once!" Spencer replied.

"How could you get lost?" Freddie asked.

"Believe me, it's pretty easy. This place is like a maze!" Socko added.

"But there's directions at the end of every corridor!" Carly pointed towards the wall. The three men stood in silence as they saw what she was referring to.

"Oh....." They all replied slowly as they noticed the signs, not realizing the hospital had them until Carly pointed it out.

"Makes sense now.." Taylor replied putting a fist to his chin.

"Indeed." Spencer added.

"Mhmm... Mhmm...." Socko nodded his head in agreement. Carly and Freddie just rolled their eyes in humor as they watched the guys comment to each other quietly.

"Anyways, let's go see if the pizza guy is out there." Freddie stated as he looked towards the main door.

"Good idea." Spencer replied. They all made their way out of the building.

* * *

Once outside, the gang took in their surroundings. The sun was still setting in the distance, and the sky was a mixture of orange and pink hues. It was obvious that night was coming soon.

"Hey, I think that's the pizza truck..but I'm not sure." Taylor pointed over to a big red van with a the words Zippy Delivery on the side.

"You're not sure?!" Socko asked his brother oddly.

"No..." Taylor squinted. "It could be an oddly colored ambulance or medical vehicle of some sort..."

"THERE'S A GIANT PIZZA PAINTED ON THE SIDE!" Socko yelled as he thumped his brother on the head.

"OW!" Taylor remarked, rubbing it. "Do you have to be so violent?"

"Do you have to be so stupid?" Socko remarked.

"Guys, cool it!" Spencer was once again put in the middle of his two friends.

"But he thumped me!" Taylor stated in defense.

"You deserved it!" Socko replied.

"Do I have to put you guys in time out?" Spencer asked them.

"But he--" Taylor started to mumble.

"And I--" Socko also tried to talk but Spencer cut them both off.

"Taylor! You sit over there!" Spencer pointed to a bench to the left of the doors. "And Socko, you sit over there." He pointed to another one at the right.

"What?! We're not going to..." Taylor was about to protest.

"GO!" Spencer yelled at them. They jumped and ran off to their respective benches and sat quietly in shame.

"Wow..." Freddie replied as he watched the brothers. "Have you ever seen anything so funny?" He asked as he turned towards Carly. She just let out a small laugh.

"Yes. Everyday." She replied as Freddie cocked his eyebrow in confusion.

"Huh? What?" He asked curiously.

"You and Sam." Carly smiled. "You guys act like that all the time."

"No we don't!" Freddie exclaimed in defense.

"Yes you do." Carly smiled. "It's like I'm watching an all male version of the three of us." She gave a small chuckle. Freddie looked at her inquisitively before looking back at Spencer and his two friends.

"Ok....maybe you're _somewhat_ right." He finally admitted.

"I _am_ right." Carly restated with a smile.

"Alrighty guys." Spencer turned around and clapped his hands together in anticipation. "Pizza time! Let's go get it."

"Ok." Carly replied.

"Yeah!" Freddie added. The two were starving and very excited to eat properly prepared food that didn't move on it's own.

Spencer looked back over to his friends sitting on the bench. "Now you guys stay there while the kids and I go and grab the pizza ok?" He called out.

"Yeah whatevermmm..." The two brothers mumbled in response. Spencer just laughed as he turned around and started to walk towards the van with Carly and Freddie. Once they got over there they noticed there was a kid in his late teens dressed in a red employee outfit sitting in the seat, apparently drumming with imaginary drumsticks to the beat of a song playing on the car radio.

"Hey!" Spencer called out as he knocked on the driver's window. The guy jumped up in his seat, obviously startled as he was not expecting someone to be there at that exact moment. He rolled down his window embarrassed.

"Are you S-spencer Shay?" He stuttered, his cheeks red.

"Yup, the one and only." Spencer replied proudly pulling on the collar of his shirt.

"Here's your pizza. Comes to $11.56." The employee replied as he handed the box through the window to Spencer.

"Thanks bud." Spencer took it from him.

"No problem!" The kid replied, grateful he didn't point out his awkward drumming. He watched as Spencer handed the pizza over to Freddie and then dug into his pockets and pulled out a ten and five dollar bill. "Here you go." Spencer handed the kid the money.

"Thanks." He replied, digging around for a few dollar bills to give back.

"Keep the change." Spencer added.

"Oh wow! Thanks dude!" The kid looked over at him in surprise.

"You're welcome. Drive safe!" Spencer replied as the kid waved and started the van back up. The gang watched as he drove away.

"You seem to be in a good mood." Carly smiled at her brother, referring to his tip.

"That's because I am." Spencer smiled. "Sam's recovering, and she even got to see her mother. About time something good happened, right?"

"Very true." Carly smiled as Freddie nodded.

"PLUS!" Spencer held out his hands dramatically as he pointed towards Freddie. "We have PIZZA!"

"Whoo pizza!" Carly laughed.

"Go pepperoni!" Freddie cheered.

"Yes!" Spencer jumped up excitedly. "Let's get back to Socko and Taylor." He took the pizza box from Freddie as they all turned back around and started to walk back towards the benches.

"Got the food?" Taylor asked as he saw the trio walk back over.

"No, he just found a random pizza box on the sidewalk and stole it from a hobo!" Socko yelled across the doorway to his brother. Taylor spit his tongue out at Socko.

"Guys, c'mon! Calm down. We got pizza!" Spencer replied as he walked over towards Taylor's bench.

"Fine, fine!" Socko put his hands up in defeat as he stood up and walked over to them.

"Should we take this back to the room?" Taylor asked.

"Nah I don't think so." Carly replied. "Sam's stomach is still pretty messed up and as much as this goes against her principals, I don't think she'd appreciate being around food right now."

"We can just eat it out here then." Spencer stated.

"Sounds good." Freddie replied as everyone else nodded. They all sat down on the bench as Spencer opened up the box and started handing out slices.

* * *

Sam continued to lay against her pillow with her eyes closed. Her body still felt horrible, and she was really tired and nauseous, but even all of that couldn't take away from her good mood. Not only had she just met a couple of cool guys, but she was also able to have a nice chat with her mother. Besides the fact of being sick and in a hospital, she considered it to be a pretty nice day for what it could have turned out to be. Although she wasn't expecting the news she was about to receive in a few minutes as she heard the door to her room creak, signaling that someone was coming in. Sam cracked her eyes open and looked over to see Mrs. Benson.

"Hi." Sam stated softly.

"Hello." Mrs. Benson smiled as she walked over to her. "How are you doing?"

"Pretty good. I mean, I still feel like I got run over by a bus repeatedly, but I'm not completely bummed."

"That's good." Mrs. Benson smiled. "I take it the visit with your mother went well?" She walked over to Sam and gently picked up her wrist to check her pulse.

"Yup, it was very nice." Sam replied, not questioning why Mrs. Benson was checking her wrist as she had already become accustomed to being put through random check ups by now.

"I'm glad to hear that." Mrs. Benson replied, setting Sam's wrist back down against the mattress. She wrote down a few things on her clipboard. "Also, I have some good news for you." She turned around to look at Sam with a smile on her face.

"Really? What?" She asked curiously.

"Well, according to the results of your checkups, if everything continues to go as planned, there's a very good chance that you may be able to leave the hospital tomorrow."

* * *

**Oh! Looks like Sam may be going home soon. =)**


	36. Getting Out Of Bed

"I have some good news for you." Mrs. Benson turned around to look at Sam with a smile on her face.

"Really? What?" She asked curiously.

"Well, according to the results of your checkups, if everything continues to go as planned, there's a very good chance that you may be able to leave the hospital tomorrow."

"What?! Are you serious?" Sam asked, perking up.

"Yup." Mrs. Benson smiled once more. "Other than the negative reaction to the anesthesia, you seem to be recovering well from the surgery. Your fever went down and there's no post-op infection."

"So I really get to go home tomorrow?" Sam double checked.

"Well, you must understand that if any complications are found in the morning..."

"Yeah yeah yeah.." Sam waved her off. "But there's still _a chance_ I can go home tomorrow?!"

"Yes." Mrs. Benson confirmed.

"Sweet!" Sam replied happily.

"Now let's see if you can walk." Mrs. Benson stated as she set her clipboard down on the counter.

"Huh?" Sam asked cautiously, caught off guard by this. "W-walk?" She gulped nervously.

"Yes, it's standard procedure to see if a patient can walk after this type of surgery."

"Oh..." Sam replied hesitantly. "......And what if I can't? Does that mean I won't be allowed to go home?"

"It depends on the reason why." Mrs. Benson stated softly as she walked over to the bedside. "Now let's have you sit up."

"Ok..." Sam responded as the woman helped her into an upright position. Sam grimaced as she felt the pain in her stomach come back.

"Now don't push yourself too hard." Mrs. Benson advised as she helped remove the blankets off her patient's legs.

"I won't.." Sam replied quietly. "Uh, but what about the..." She motioned towards her catheter.

"I'll hold the bag for you." Mrs. Benson stated, picking up the empty bag attached to the tube.

_'How embarrassing...' _Sam moaned in her head, hating her situation even more.

"Ok, now let's try to stand." Mrs. Benson stated gently as she helped Sam bring her legs over the side of the bed.

"Oh...ow.." Sam whimpered as she continued to feel pain in her stomach.

"It's alright honey, you're going to feel some discomfort there for a while."

"Great.." Sam sighed.

"Ok, now take it easy.." Mrs. Benson helped her put her feet to the floor and stand up slowly. The woman felt her patient start to shake for a moment. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine fine.." Sam replied weakly, holding onto the Mrs. Benson's arm for support. "Just a little dizzy, but it's starting to stop."

"Good, just take a few deep breaths." Mrs. Benson advised. Sam paused for a moment and did as she was told. "Are you alright to start walking now?"

"I think so.." Sam stated reluctantly. She was still very weak, but found enough strength to stay standing.

"I'm going to walk alongside you, ok?" Mrs. Benson stated gently.

"Ok.." Sam replied, grateful about that. She wasn't completely sure if she would fall over or not without the help of her nurse. As soon as the two started to walk around the room, Sam realized her legs were wobbling like jello, but knew how much was riding on this small task and continued to walk. After a few more steps, Sam noticed she was starting to feel sick to her stomach. Mrs. Benson looked over at her patient and saw the worry on her face.

"Like I said, don't push yourself too hard. You've been in a bed for a long time and you're going to feel pretty weak."

"I know, but I think I can still walk a bit more.." Sam replied, really wanting to go home. She managed to gather up enough strength to walk a few more steps. Mrs. Benson felt as Sam's weight lifted off her arm for those few steps, confirming her patient was using her own strength. The two remained quiet as Sam continued to walk around the room a few times.

"I'm s-sorry." She replied as she finally stopped.

"Hmm? For what?" Mrs. Benson asked.

"I don't think I can walk anymore." Sam stated, starting to feel incredibly nauseous.

"That's alright." Mrs. Benson smiled. "Let's get you back to the bed."

"Ok.." Sam replied sullenly as the woman helped her back over the mattress. Sam winced as she sat back down. Mrs. Benson gently took her legs and repositioned them over the bed before covering her up with the blankets once more. Sam sighed as she laid back into her pillow.

"Is that good?" Mrs. Benson asked, checking to make sure she was comfortable.

"Yeah.." Sam replied sadly, staring off into space with a defeated look. Her body was extremely tired from that simple task, and she felt like she had to puke again. Although, the worst feeling she felt was failure. She figured that there was no way the hospital was going to let her leave if she couldn't keep herself up for more than a few minutes.

"What's wrong?" Mrs. Benson asked softly.

"Does this mean I'm not going to be able to go home tomorrow?" Sam looked up at her. "I couldn't really walk that much..."

"Oh Samantha, you did fine." Mrs. Benson smiled.

"What?" Sam looked up at her curiously. "But--"

"I noticed that you were walking for a little bit without my help, showing me that you had enough strength to keep yourself up."

"But I could only stay up for a short amount of time." Sam stated slowly.

"Honey, you've been in bed for hours. Of course you're going to feel weak and tired, especially due to the results of the anesthesia. The fact that you were able to walk on your own at all is a very good sign. There's no need to worry." Mrs. Benson smiled.

"So that means I did alright?" Sam asked hopefully.

"Mhmm." Mrs. Benson nodded.

"Oh..ok." Sam gave her a weak smile, appreciative of the comforting words.

"Now, I'm going to go hand in these reports. Do you need anything?" Mrs. Benson stated as she walked over to the door.

"No, I'm fine." Sam smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile, Spencer, Socko, Taylor, and the kids all sat on the bench outside the hospital eating their pizza happily. The sun was starting to disappear as an inky darkness began to cover the sky.

"Mmmm this stuff is good!" Socko stated as he bit down into his slice.

"Yeah, I'll say!" Taylor replied, plucking off a pepperoni from his own and dropping it into his mouth.

"Glad you like it." Spencer responded. "The hospital food was...well.." He stopped for a moment to think of a word to describe it.

"Scary?" Freddie offered as he swallowed a gulp.

"Yeah! Scary! Thanks Freddo." Spencer replied.

"Huh? What do you guys mean by scary?" Socko asked. "I always hear about how hospital food isn't the best but it couldn't have been that bad...."

"The peas moved." Carly replied before biting down onto her pizza crust. Socko and Taylor looked over at her for a moment and shivered.

"That is scary." Taylor replied.

"Mhmm.." Socko nodded in agreement as he chomped on the last part of his slice. Everyone was starting to finish off their last few bites.

"Seems as though there's one slice left." Spencer stated as he looked into the box. "Who wants it?"

"How about you guys?" Taylor asked as he looked over towards Carly and Freddie.

"Nah, I'm good." Carly responded, wiping her mouth off with a napkin.

"Same here." Freddie responded.

"Spence?" Taylor asked.

"No, too full." Spencer smiled as he placed a hand over his stomach.

"Do you want it Socko?" Taylor looked over at his brother.

"Well, now that I've thought about it, I could go for one last.." Just as Socko reached towards the box for the slice, Taylor snatched it away at the last moment.

"Too slow." He replied, holding up the last slice triumphantly.

"What?! But you offered it to me! That's mine!" Socko responded pitifully.

"No, I _offered_ it to the kids. I only _asked_ you. There's a difference. I couldn't care less what your answer was." Taylor smiled as he rose the pizza to his mouth.

"GIMME THAT PIZZA!" Socko lunged over to reach for the last slice. Taylor held it out of his brother's reaching distance, and took a giant lick against the entire pizza before handing it back over.

"Ok, here you go." Taylor smiled.

"SICKEN ME! YOU SICKEN ME!" Socko exclaimed angrily pointing at his brother. Taylor just smiled happily and took a bite of his slobber covered pizza.

"Wow..." Spencer just shook his head at his immature friends.

"Yep.." Carly replied as she turned towards Freddie. "Definitely you and Sam.."

"Ok, I concede defeat! You win!" He stated throwing his hands up. Carly laughed.

"Alright I'm going to go toss out the pizza box in that garbage can over there." Spencer stood up and started to fold the cardboard box in half. "I'll be right back." He stated as he walked away.

"MMM, this pizza is soooo good." Taylor stated in over dramatized pleasure. Socko glared at him and turned around towards Freddie.

"Do you have a brother?"

"No..." Freddie replied curiously.

"You're lucky." Socko replied as he looked back at Taylor, finishing up his stolen pizza slice. The kids just laughed.

"Alrighty.." Spencer stated as he walked back up to the group. "Wanna head back to Sam now?"

"Yup, sounds good." Socko stated as they all stood up.

"I wonder how she's doing?" Freddie asked quietly as they all started to walk back into the building.

* * *

The gang made their way back over to their friend's room and lightly knocked on the door. Sam tilted her head over curiously, wondering if it was Mrs. Benson again or not. She quickly deduced that it wasn't as the woman didn't knock when she came in for a medical reason.

"Come in." Sam replied, hoping to see her friends. She smiled as she watched them all file back into the room.

"Hey Sam.." Carly greeted her best friend as she and Freddie walked over to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, I've been better but I had a really nice chat with my mother."

"That's good." Carly smiled, glad to hear that.

"Yeah, it was something we definitely needed." Sam smiled back up at her. "Oh, and I even have some good news!"

"Really? What?" Spencer asked as he and his two friends walked closer.

"Well, Mrs. Benson came in and..........." Sam's sentence trailed off as her eyes widened. "Oh god!" She exclaimed, slapping her hands over her mouth and nose.

"What's wrong?!" Freddie asked quickly as everyone looked worriedly over at her. They just watched as Sam shook her head in response, not removing her hands from her face.

"You guys smell like cheese and urp..." Her muffled voice came out weak. She was still feeling pretty sick from getting up and walking around, but she had been able to keep the contents of her stomach down from it. Unfortunately her friends smelled like pizza air fresheners, and she was loosing the battle quickly.

"Whoa ok!" Freddie quickly realized the conclusion his friend was drawing to as she started to gag behind her hands. He reached over and grabbed the basin and set it down on her lap. Sam gratefully put her hands against the sides and coughed out a few mouthfuls of liquid.

"Oh man, we're so sorry!" Spencer stated as he and his friends backed up, realizing they all brought in a pizza smell with them causing her to puke.

"No..." Sam moaned weakly in between heaves. "Not...completely your fault.." She stated pathetically as Carly reached over and held her hair up for her.

"Listen, we could go and leave.." Spencer offered as Socko and Taylor nodded their heads in agreement.

"Don't go.." Sam moaned weakly, before puking out her last bit of liquid. "Ughh..." She grimaced as she sat back into her mattress.

"You ok now?" Carly asked softly, letting go of her friend's hair as Sam nodded. Freddie picked up the basin and placed it back into the sink, turning on the faucet to rinse it out.

"Sorry for the rude hello." Sam offered a small apologetic smile to the guys.

"It's alright." Taylor smiled. "Socko's used to girls puking at the sight of him." He gave off a small laugh as his brother glared at him.

"Freddie too." Sam laughed.

"Well I'll be..." Freddie turned around in surprise. "Your first insult about me since we've been here." He gave a small smile towards Sam.

"Sorry.." She replied.

"Don't worry about it." Freddie smiled. "It was way too weird having you nice to me all the time." Sam gave a small smile back to him, grateful he wasn't mad. She really hadn't planned on insulting Freddie, but Taylor just set up the perfect lead in. It came natural to her to follow through with a joke.

"So, you're alright now?" Spencer asked hesitantly as the group walked back over towards Sam.

"Yeah, I'm good. My stomach was just a bit on edge from getting up before."

"Getting up?" Freddie asked curiously.

"Huh? Oh yeah.." Sam replied, temporarily forgetting they weren't with her. "Your mom came back and made me walk around the room a bit."

"Really?!" Carly asked in surprise. "How'd you do?"

"Well, I didn't faint." Sam offered a half hearted smile. "But I still felt a bit dizzy in the beginning and overall suckish. I mean, I only walked around the room for a few minutes and I feel like I've just finished running a ten mile marathon." She let out a small yawn. "But Mrs. Benson said that's normal because of the anesthesia. Anyways....she told me some great news!" Sam beamed at her friends, remembering what she wanted to tell them before she got sick.

"What?" Freddie asked, curious as to what she had to say.

"It's possible that I might be going home tomorrow!"

* * *

**So Sam's still feeling pretty cruddy, but at least all of this good news is keeping her spirits up, right? =)**


	37. Little Visitor

"It's possible that I might be going home tomorrow!" Sam told her friends excitedly.

"What? Really?" Freddie asked.

"Mhmm." Sam nodded in response. "That is of course if I can make it through the night and nothing stupid happens in the morning..." She added jokingly.

"Sam, that's great!" Carly replied.

"I know! Right?" Sam couldn't help but smile once more. "That deserves a fist bump, don't you think?" She exclaimed, holding out her right fist to her friends. Freddie gently bumped his with hers, as did Carly, making sure the motion was light so they didn't hurt their friend. The kids smiled at each other.

"Aww, I'm so happy for you!" Spencer replied.

"Thanks!" Sam replied as she looked over at him. Although she realized she had something important to tell him and her good mood faltered. "Oh yeah.." She looked down slowly. Everyone noticed the quick change in her excitement. "There's something I kind of have to ask.." She stated, not making eye contact with Spencer.

"Ask? Me?" He wondered. She nodded her head. "Ok, shoot."

"Well...when I was talking to my mom, she told me how it may be possible that she won't be released in time for her to come home with me, so she uh...kind of put me in your care." Sam looked up at Spencer cautiously. Just as he was about to open his mouth to say something, she quickly cut him off. "But you don't have to take me in! I mean, I have this Uncle Herman and he could take care of me and stuff, so you don't really have an obligation to take me home if you don't want..."

"Whoa! Motor mouth! Slow down!" Spencer gently told her. "Of course I'll take you in! How could you even question that?"

"But..." Sam trailed off looking down. "I feel like I'm imposing.." She replied sadly.

"Since when have you cared about that?" Freddie joked.

"Yeah." Carly nodded as well. "You barge into my apartment every day." She gave a small laugh. Sam looked up at them.

"I know...but now...I can barely even walk. At least when I barge into your house, I know I can pick myself up off your couch when I'm done sleeping." She gave a weak laugh.

"Oh Sam, is that what's bothering you? If you need help getting up and stuff, that's no problem!" Spencer replied. "Do you know how many times I've had to pick Carly up off the couch?" He looked over at his sister.

"Oh yeah?" Carly replied, looking her brother straight in the eye. "Well, remember all the times I've had to drag YOUR butt off the couch?" She asked as Spencer looked at her sheepishly. "And you're twice my size!" She exclaimed.

"See?" Spencer turned back towards Sam. "We have the capabilities to take care of you!" He replied happily. Sam couldn't help but chuckle. Picturing Carly attempting to drag her brother off their couch was a pretty funny mental image.

"But still..." Sam sighed. "I keep getting sick...and can't keep anything down. That's a pretty big inconvenience.." She started to say but was cut off.

"Stomach flu of 2006." Spencer stated firmly. Sam looked up at him oddly.

"What?" She didn't understand.

"The stomach flu of 2006." Spencer restated once more. "Carly and I were hit with it the same time that winter, remember?" He looked over at his little sister. She let off a small shiver.

"Yeah...not a fun time.." She added.

"Uh.." Sam replied cautiously, unsure of his point. "...So?"

"So..." Spencer imitated her tone. "We've dealt with tons of puke before. It's no problem. We can take care of you! Now stop worrying that little head of yours!" Spencer reached over and gently ruffled the hair on top of her head. "Because I'm taking you home with me, whether you allow it or not."

"Thanks Spencer." Sam smiled up at him.

"No problem, my little couch potato." He stated softly. Both of them let off a small chuckle. Just then there was a small knock on the door. Everyone looked over, wondering who it was.

"Uh...I'll get it." Socko replied as he and his brother were the closest. He turned around and opened the door to reveal Mrs. Benson. "Oh hi." He responded, recognizing her as Freddie's mom.

"Hello Mr. ..." Mrs. Benson wasn't sure of his name.

"Socko." He replied. "Just Socko."

"Uh hello Mr. Socko.." Mrs. Benson stated carefully. Freddie couldn't help but smile in the corner as he watched his mom try to stay polite although he knew she was confused at such an odd name.

"Samantha?" Mrs. Benson called over as Sam looked at her.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"There are two visitors out here to see you." Mrs. Benson stated as everyone looked at her oddly.

"Huh?" Sam replied. She then pointed to everyone in the room, silently counting her friends. _'Four, five...and my mom makes six..'_ She thought for a moment. _'That's all the visitors I should have..'_

"They were wondering if they could see you now? Is this a good time for you?" Mrs. Benson asked.

"Uh sure, let them in." Sam replied awkwardly, looking over to Carly and Freddie and shrugging, showing them she had no clue who it was either. Mrs. Benson nodded in response as she disappeared from the room. There were a few seconds before two people walked in slowly. Sam strained her eyes to see who they were.

One of them was a man, she could obviously tell that. He had a beat up baseball cap placed over his loose brown hair and wore a standard gray jacket on top of a plain blue t-shirt. He had blue jeans and brown boots on. Next to him stood a small boy. Sam quickly deduced that the man was most likely his father. The little boy stood cautiously behind his father's leg. He had black hair and was wearing a red t-shirt with a race car on it, and black jeans with white sneakers. He was roughly six or seven years old.

"Come in?" Sam offered weakly.

"Is this an ok time?" The man asked, stepping in slowly as he realized there were quite a few people in the room and didn't want to disrupt anything.

"Um, yeah it's fine...it's just that...I kind of have no clue who you are." Sam replied sheepishly.

"Oh sorry!" The man replied as he took his baseball hat off and walked over with his son to her side of the bed. "I'm.." he was cut off.

"Hey wait! I do know who you are!" Sam replied in realization. "You're the driver of the ambulance." She stated as she remembered sitting in the elevator with him while she was strapped to the gurney. He was the paramedic who told her that he and his son were fans of iCarly. She also remembered telling him he could drop by with his son after surgery. Apparently his shift at the hospital was over, and he made good on that call.

"Yep, that's me." He replied with a small smile, holding his hand out to her. "Name's John Steward."

"Hi John." Sam smiled, as she shook his hand gently. "Thanks for um...you know, driving me here." She replied awkwardly. "I'd say it was a nice ride, but.."

"Say no more..." He gave a small chuckle. He then looked down as he felt a tug on his pant leg. "Oh yeah, this is my son Chris." Sam looked down at the little boy.

"Hi Chris." She smiled as he poked his head out from behind his father's leg.

"Wow!" He replied in a soft voice. "You're real!" He exclaimed happily. Sam couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, I'm pretty real." She replied. "So's Carly and Freddie." Sam pointed out her friends. The boy looked over at them wide eyed.

"You're all here?" He asked as Carly and Freddie nodded with a smile. "This is so cool!" He squeaked. "I love your webshow!" He responded with a smile.

"Thanks." Carly replied kindly.

"Yeah." Freddie nodded his head with a smile.

"Though, 'Tech Time with Freddie' was kind of boring...sorry.." Chris replied bashfully. Sam couldn't help but bust into laughter at this.

"Hahaha, ow!" She remarked, stopping abruptly as a jolt of pain shot through her stomach.

"Oh! Does it hurt?" Chris asked as he looked back at Sam.

"Yeah, a little.." Sam replied.

"You know, I had to go to a hospital once too." Chris smiled. "They took out my ton-sills.." He tried to pronounce it right. "I didn't really like it, but they gave me lots of ice cream." He smiled a toothy grin at her. "Do you get ice cream?"

"Well, I suppose I could if I wanted." Sam smiled. Of course she'd most likely barf it out later but he didn't need to know that.

"That's cool!" Chris smiled. "Oh yeah..." He replied softly, pulling out a small notebook and a pen. "Would it be too much if you could, um, give me an autograph? Daddy told me you might not be feeling up to signing one though, so it's ok if you can't." He stated shyly.

"No it's fine. I can sign." Sam replied. Chris smiled as he handed the pad and pen up to her. She propped up the pad with one hand and attempted to write down her name with the other one as she still felt a bit weak. "Sorry if it's a bit messy." Sam stated, realizing the letters came out pretty sloppy. She finished up her last name and handed the pad back to Chris.

"That's ok." He stated. "My teacher says I have messy handwriting too! I especially have trouble with my G's." Sam couldn't help but smile at how cute he was. "Also.." he looked over towards Carly and Freddie. "Would you mind..?" He held up his pad and pen to them.

"Sure, no problem!" Carly smiled as she took them from him and wrote down her own name. Afterward she handed it over to Freddie and he signed his own. He then handed the notebook back to the little boy.

"Wow!" He beamed as he looked down at all three signatures. "My friends are never going to believe this!" He murmured happily. "Thanks so much!"

"No problem Chris." Sam smiled as Carly and Freddie nodded their heads.

"Alright.." John put his hand on his son's shoulder. "We don't want to get in your way, so we'll leave now. But thank you so much for allowing my son to visit. It really does mean the world to him." He stated as Chris nodded his head enthusiastically.

"You're welcome." Sam replied with a smile.

"Bye Sam, Carly, and Freddie!" Chris waved as his father led him towards the door. "Oh and Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Eat as much ice cream as you can before the adults take it away from you!" Chris called out. Sam laughed.

"I'll try!" She replied back. The two Stewards smiled and waved before they left the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, Carly turned around towards Sam.

"Awwwwww..." She cooed. "What a cute kid!"

"I know right!" Sam exclaimed. "Now why couldn't he be our biggest fan instead of...ugh...Mandy!"

"Well..." Freddie started to say. "Even though I don't agree with his tastes..." He stated, referring to the boy's dislike of 'Tech Time with Freddie'. "...I have to admit. He was somewhat...kind of...really adorable." He smiled.

"Insanely adorable!" Sam corrected him.

* * *

**So this was just a small chapter to show that things are still going good for Sam! xP**

**Also, I want to describe why I wrote Sam's characterization like that in the beginning of the chapter with her and Spencer. I always felt that if Sam's character was really put into a situation like this, she would actually feel more awkward about imposing on her friends this way, then when she usually does because she wasn't doing it of her own accord. Know what I mean? Like, she has no trouble barging into Carly's house and sleeping on her couch if she can be all aggressive and abrasive about it. But if she's weak to the point of not even being able to properly take care of herself, then she'd feel ashamed about being a burden to them. That's why I wrote that part in the beginning. It's just how I believe Sam would feel at that point. :P**


	38. Settling Down For The Night

"....I have to admit. He was somewhat...kind of....really adorable." Freddie smiled, referring to the little boy who had just left.

"Insanely adorable!" Sam corrected him.

"Insanely adorable." Freddie repeated before covering a yawn with his hand. Sam noticed this and realized that both he and Carly were starting to look pretty beat.

"What's up with you Fredward, tired?"

"Nah, I'm fine." Freddie replied, waving her comment off.

"I'm not stupid.." Sam responded slowly. "I can tell that it's..." She looked around the room for a clock but didn't see one. "...late." She finished, using the window as a reference point for time, as the sky was now pitch black.

"Ok, maybe I am a bit tired." Freddie shrugged.

"You guys can go home if you want.." Sam added. Just because she had to stay in a hospital overnight didn't mean they had to.

"Sam, we're not going home." Carly gently responded. She noticed her best friend was trying to ease her way back into her tough mode, but Carly wasn't buying it. She knew Sam desperately wanted them to stay.

"But, how can you sleep..?" Sam asked, looking around the room. "There's no beds.."

"No...but there are chairs." Freddie pointed out.

"You guys can't sleep in chairs." Sam stated.

"Why not?" Carly asked. "You do it all the time in school." She smiled as she watched Sam look down for a moment in thought, knowing she was caught off guard with that comment.

"Point taken.." Sam replied slowly. "But will you guys be comfortable? I mean, I've been chair sleeping for years in school...I've built up the back for it. You guys haven't." She gave a small smile.

"I think we can manage." Carly let out a laugh as Freddie nodded.

"Plus!" Spencer stepped into the conversation. "We'll only be here for a night, remember? Then we'll all get to leave and go home." He smiled.

"True." Sam replied, grateful for him bringing up the fact of her possibly leaving in the morning again. "Still, I don't mind if you guys wanna go home and change into comfier clothes or something because well.....I mean....you're in a tuxedo!" She exclaimed, pointing towards his outfit.

"Hey, I'm fine! I love my tuxedo." He remarked, spinning once for a dramatic effect to show it off. "The ladies love it!"

"Yes they do." Taylor added as he also stepped forward and proudly displayed his own. "You wouldn't believe how many chicks were checking me out here." He dusted off his shoulders.

"That's probably because they were worried that you guys came from the funeral home." Sam stated bluntly. Taylor and Spencer's smiles faded as they looked over at each other.

"Ohh....." They both replied slowly, looking each other up and down. Sam just smiled and rolled her eyes.

"But seriously.." She glanced back over to her two friends. "You guys can go home and change, I don't mind."

"I don't need to change, do you Freddie?" Carly looked over at him.

"Nope. Believe me.." He looked over at Sam. "...I've slept in worse than a pair of jeans."

"Like what?" She asked curiously.

"Well, when my mom bought me my anti-bacterial underwear.." He had to pause for a moment as Sam chuckled.

"Anti-bacterial underwear.." She repeated quietly. He just rolled his eyes in humor and continued on.

"When my mom bought me _those_, she also found out the store sold anti-bacterial pajamas. And well...you can guess what happened next."

"Anti-bacterial pajamas?" Sam asked as he nodded. "Geeze Freddie, how dirty are you?!" She smiled, obviously enjoying this story.

"I'm not dirty! You know my mom's just overly cautious!" He protested pathetically and took a deep breath. "Anyways....the point I was_ trying_ to get to was that the pajamas were extremely itchy."

"Probably because of the bacteria jumping off of you. Kind of like how a flea collar works,right Carls?" Sam smiled as she looked over at her best friend and the two girls chuckled. Freddie moaned.

"Why do I even bother?" He muttered.

"Sorry, sorry!" Sam quickly apologized. "Please, continue on...oh bacteria infested one." She couldn't help but crack another smile.

"Pretty hypocritical words for someone who just went through surgery to get part of her insides removed due to an infection." Freddie replied smugly. Sam's laughter died out as she slit her eyes at him.

"Touche.." She responded slowly. The two then smiled back at each other playfully. Spencer and Carly could tell that Sam and Freddie missed exchanging words like this.

"Alrighty!" Spencer cut in. "Since we're spending the night here...I'm going to go see if there's anymore...extra...pillows..." He started to say as he let out a huge yawn. Carly noticed this and tried to cover her own small yawn with her hand.

"Who's the nutbag that says yawns aren't contagious..?" Sam asked weakly as she too had to cover her mouth.

"Man, you guys are whipped!" Socko replied, watching the three of them simultaneously yawn.

"That obvious huh?" Carly responded with a small laugh as Spencer made his way over to the room's closet. He opened the door and peered in.

"Oh man.." Spencer moaned.

"What's wrong?" Freddie asked.

"There's only one pillow in here." He stated sadly as he pulled it out.

"Well I have an extra one I could give up..." Sam winced as she tried to sit up and pull out a pillow from behind her.

"Oh no you don't!" Carly responded softly, pushing her friend back down gently by her shoulder.

"But-"

"Those are yours, we can deal." Carly explained.

"Fine.." Sam huffed, realizing her friend wasn't in the mood for a debate.

"Look, Taylor and I can go and find you some extra pillows." Socko spoke up.

"Yeah." Taylor nodded his head.

"Ok, thanks guys." Spencer smiled.

"No problemo!" Socko replied. He then looked over at Taylor. "Let's go!" The two brothers walked out of the room and shut the door with a click.

"Ok.." Spencer replied, turning back around towards the kids. "How you wanna do this?"

"Freddie and I can sleep in the chairs and you can take the couch." Carly stated as she pointed over to it in the corner.

"Is that alright with you Freddo?" Spencer checked.

"Yup." Freddie nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"Ok then. I'm just going to go and close these up.." Spencer stated as he walked over to the window and started to shut the curtains.

Carly looked back over at Sam. "Would you like anything to drink? ...or is it too soon?" She asked, referring to her friend's nausea.

"Actually yeah, I would like something. Still have some more of that ginger ale?"

"Yup. Got the bottle right here." Carly replied, picking it up from the counter.

"I'll take a cup of that then. Thanks." Sam smiled.

"No problem." Carly returned the smile as she walked over to the sink and went to grab a glass for her friend.

"I'll go and get us some blankets." Freddie stated as he walked across the room and over to the closet.

Sam just sat quietly as she watched everyone work on their current tasks. She couldn't describe the amount of relief and comfort she felt as she watched Carly, Freddie ,and Spencer get the room ready for night. She was also incredibly thankful to have them stay by her side as it made being in the hospital a lot more tolerable, especially since she had to stay overnight. With a small sigh, Sam allowed herself to shut her eyes for a moment before she felt a small tap on her shoulder.

"Sam?" Carly asked gently, unsure if she was awake or not.

"Hmm?" Sam opened her eyes back up to see her friend holding up the cup of ginger ale.

"Hey sleepy.." Carly smiled. "Still want this?"

"Oh yeah." Sam let off a small chuckle. "Sorry about that."

"No worries." Carly handed the glass to her and waited patiently as Sam finished the drink.

"Mmm...." Sam replied, wiping her mouth off with the back of her hand and handing the glass back to her friend. She was feeling pretty thirsty and for once, that drink hit the spot.

"So I take it your stomach's feeling better?" Carly asked as she walked back over to the sink. Meanwhile Freddie passed her with an armful of blankets and continued to set them down on the chairs.

"Yeah, for the moment." Sam replied. "We'll see how I do in the morning. That's when the pukefest starts."

Just then Socko and Taylor came running back into the room, making everyone else jump in surprise. The brothers slammed the door hastily behind them and tried to catch their breath.

"Whoa, what's with you guys?!" Spencer spun around to see his friends in a defeated heap. "You were only gone for a second! Why are you out of breath?!"

"ASK HIM!" Socko yelled to his brother. Spencer cocked an eyebrow and looked over at Taylor.

"Uh, why do you have a feather in your hair?" Spencer asked him awkwardly.

"Huh?" Taylor looked up and noticed the white fluff in his bangs. "Oh this?" He asked as he pulled it out. "Some crazy woman was chasing me down the hallway and grabbed the pillow I had in my hands and started to beat me up with it. No idea why.."

"No idea?!" Socko exclaimed. "You went into her room and stole the pillow right out from under her! The poor woman didn't even have a left leg!"

"Well how was I supposed to know that she was going to be able to hop that fast down the hallway?!" Taylor defended himself, completely missing his brother's point.

"Do you even _have_ emotions?" Socko asked flatly.

"Guys, guys!" Spencer cut in. "Just one question." He stated firmly.

"Yeah?" The brothers asked.

"Where did you get _those_ pillows?" He questioned, noticing Socko had two in his hands. Spencer was hoping he didn't have to find another patient in the hospital and apologize to them.

"I got them from the supply closet." Socko replied, glaring angrily at his brother. "Where normal people would look."

"My way would have been quicker..." Taylor pouted, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, quicker to land you in a psyche ward!"

"So I messed up! Sue me." Taylor shrugged.

"Lets hope that woman doesn't!" Socko spat back before turning around towards Spencer. "Here's your pillows." He stated as he handed them over tiredly.

"Thanks bud." Spencer offered a small smile to him, knowing what the poor guy had to deal with.

"Here, I've got it." Freddie replied as he walked over to the guys and took the pillows from Spencer. He then made his way back over to the chairs and continued to set up the makeshift beds for them.

"Well, I can see you're all getting ready for bed, so I think it's time me and Taylor say adios amigos!" He then glanced over at Sam and Carly. "...amigas!" He finished properly.

"Yeah, buenos dias!" Taylor added as Socko looked at him awkwardly. "What? It means good night." He shrugged. "You're not the only one who knows a bit of Spanish."

"Um.." Spencer walked over to him and whispered in his ear. "That means good morning." As soon as he backed away, Taylor looked over at everyone.

"Oh who cares what it means! Same difference!" He muttered throwing his hands up in the air.

"Don't worry.." Sam started to say. "I slept through Spanish class anyways." She smiled.

"Yeah.." Freddie cut in. "Once she learned how to order a taco in that language, she was done with the class." He joked. Everyone let off a small chuckle.

"Seriously though kid, feel better." Socko smiled over at her.

"Yup! Plus, you only have uh....some-some hours till you get to go home." Taylor added.

Sam smiled. "True."

"Now you take care of yourself." Socko replied.

"I will." Sam responded. "Oh and really, thanks a lot, for all you did.." She added, appreciative of their help. The two brothers smiled back at her.

"T'was our pleasure." Taylor stated as he bowed and Socko once again made his imaginary curtsy. Sam chuckled.

"We'll see you guys around!" Socko waved to everyone. "Take care."

"Bye Socks, Taylor!" Spencer stated as the kids waved. The brothers waved back once more before they left the room. As the door shut slowly with a click, Sam sighed.

"I'm going to miss those guys." She replied.

"I'll have to invite them over to the apartment more then." Spencer smiled back. "Now let's get ready for bed."

"Sounds good." Carly replied, making her way over to her chair next to the right of Sam's bed. She sat down and started to take her sneakers off.

"Man.." Freddie remarked as he sat down in his own seat on the left side of the bed and removed his own shoes. "I feel like I've been awake for three days straight."

"Same here." Spencer yawned as he removed his tuxedo jacket and placed it on the table near the small couch.

"I feel like I got my insides ripped out." Sam stated bluntly. The gang looked over at her as she offered a small smile and shrugged.

Spencer let off a chuckle as he sat down on the couch. "So, you guys want the TV on or something?" He pointed over to it in the corner. "Or would it be too distracting?" He looked back over at Sam.

"No...I like it on." She confirmed.

"Ok, I'll just grab the remote..." Carly stated as she got up from her seat to reach the small rectangular device on the counter. She sat back down and flipped on the power button.

"If you put on a show about photosynthesis, I will be forced to hit you." Sam stated flatly to her friend.

"Ok ok!" Carly replied with a laugh. "You can choose."

"Um....how about the news?" Sam offered. Everyone looked over at her oddly. "What?"

"You watch the news?!" Freddie asked curiously.

"Yeah....why?" Sam glared at him.

"Oh I dunno...it just doesn't seem like something you'd watch." He stated quickly.

"I use it to fall asleep every night." She explained.

"Now THAT seems like something you'd do." Freddie replied with a laugh.

"I _do_ watch it sometimes!" Sam replied in defense. "Sheesh."

"Sorry sorry!" Freddie apologized.

"C'mon guys.." Carly stated as she flipped over the TV to a random news channel. She looked over at Sam. "This ok?"

"Yeah, it's fine." She replied as Carly reached back and set the remote down on the counter. Sam watched as her friend pulled her blanket up to her chin and snuggled back into her pillow. She then glanced over at Freddie and Spencer and noticed that they too had settled in. With a small sigh of comfort, Sam laid back into her own mattress and closed her eyes, finally accepting sleep. The soft hum of a male anchor's voice spoke quietly as he covered his news report on the television.

* * *

**Everyone's snuggled in for bed! =3 **

**Also, (just so you guys can understand what Sam is feeling in this chapter), you ever go to a hotel and have a really fun and exciting day and then get ready for bed? ****I love the feeling of everyone getting ready to sleep in a hotel room! E****ven if it's just with my own family, or a few of my friends. Dunno if it's just me, but I enjoy the calmness of turning out the lights, putting on the TV, and snuggling into a blanket. That's the state of mind I had when writing this chapter. =)**


	39. Peaceful Sleep

With a small sigh of comfort, Sam laid back into her own mattress and closed her eyes, finally accepting sleep. The soft hum of a male anchor's voice spoke quietly as he covered his news report on the television. The gang had been resting for only two minutes when Mrs. Benson came back in. They all opened their eyes and looked up at her.

"Oh hello." She stated quietly, noticing that everyone was laying down. "I didn't realize you were getting settled in for the night."

"That's ok, it's only been a few minutes." Spencer smiled from his position on the couch.

"Yeah." Carly replied as Sam nodded.

"So what's up mom?" Freddie asked.

"Nothing, just a routine checkup." She stated quietly as she walked over to the bed. Sam watched as she pulled out a stethoscope.

"What's that for..?" She asked cautiously.

"It's to see if there's any movement in your stomach." Mrs. Benson stated, putting the device to her ears.

"Oh.." Sam replied quietly. She tried her best not to protest as the woman held up the small circular end and reached under the covers, placing it on her patient's stomach. Sam gave a small jump as it made contact with her skin.

"It's alright honey, it won't hurt." Mrs. Benson stated quietly.

"I know...it was just cold." Sam remarked, feeling embarrassed. Carly and Freddie smiled sympathetically at her. After a few more moments, Mrs. Benson finally removed the stethoscope from under the sheets. "Um, everything ok in there?" Sam asked reluctantly.

"Yup, I heard movement." The woman stated with a smile.

"So what's that mean exactly?" Sam wondered.

"You can eat some soft foods if you'd like."

"Uh..." Sam thought for a moment. Her stomach still felt like it just came off a roller coaster. "I think I'll stay with the liquids..for now." She finished.

"Alright." Mrs. Benson smiled. "We'll see how you feel in the morning."

"Thanks." Sam replied, grateful she wasn't going to force her to eat.

"So mom.." Freddie started. "What time are you getting off work? Because, I'd really like to stay the night here, if that's alright with you? I don't mind if you go on home without me."

"Oh Fredward, I took the night shift." She smiled.

"Huh? But you've been working for hours!" Freddie started to speak until his mother held up a hand to stop him.

"Now now, you know what I always say!" She took a deep breath. "A lazy nurse makes matters worse. A busy one gets the job done." Mrs. Benson recited one of her awkward poems to the kids.

"I know mom...but still..."

"Tut tut." She hushed him up. "I will relax when Samantha is released."

"It's really ok.." Sam started to say. "You can go home if you want. You don't have to stay here...." She was starting to feel guilty.

"I've already made up my mind." The woman stayed firm in her decision. "Also, I have no reason to go home when my little Fredward's here." She cooed.

"Mom.." Freddie replied bashfully, his cheeks turning red. Sam couldn't help but smile at this. She never got bored of watching his mother embarrass him.

"Now you try and relax Samantha." Mrs. Benson stated as she looked over at her patient. "And remember, if you need me at any time, just press the green button on your bed remote." She explained as Sam looked down at it.

"Thanks." She replied.

"You're welcome." Mrs. Benson smiled as she gathered up all her supplies and made her way towards the door. As she grasped the handle, she turned back around to face her son. "Oh and Freddie?"

"Yeah mom?"

"If you have any scary nightmares, feel free to come get your mommy. Love you sweetie!" And with that she left the room.

"Aww...does little Fredward have nightmares?" Sam asked.

"Bah.." He mumbled at her. At first he was going to retaliate with a joke about her nightmares, but decided against it. He remembered Sam was really freaked out about whatever nightmare she had during the surgery, and realized it was not a good time to crack one at her expense. Plus, her spirits were pretty high right now, so he could accept the brunt of a few insults if it kept her in a good mood.

"Alright kids, let's try and get some shut eye!" Spencer stated as he snuggled back into his couch.

"Mhm." Carly nodded as she too laid back. "Oh and Sam?" She looked over at her.

"Yeah?"

"Feel free to wake us up if you need to." She stated, realizing her best friend may be stubborn enough to try and deal with a problem herself in the middle of the night instead of waking them up.

"Ok." Sam replied hesitantly, realizing Carly knew just way too much about her.

* * *

A short amount of time had passed and the gang was beginning to drift out of it. All of them were teetering very close to the edge of sleep. Sam gave a soft sigh as she tilted her head to the side against her pillow. Carly noticed this and cracked open her eyes slightly, checking to make sure if she was alright. She was relieved to see her friend was just resting with her eyes closed. She then looked over and noticed Sam had her arms out from underneath her blanket as they rested by her sides. Carly gently reached over and placed her hand on top of her best friend's, making sure not to touch the small white plastic case on Sam's finger which monitored her heartbeat. With a small yawn, Carly closed her eyes once more and settled back into her chair. After a few more seconds, she had to open her eyes as she felt a slight movement from underneath her hand. She looked over and noticed that even though her best friend showed no signs of being awake, she had given Carly's hand a gentle squeeze with her thumb, as if to say she knew she was there. Even though Carly was unsure if Sam was conscious or not, she couldn't help but smile as she once again closed her eyes and started to fall asleep.

* * *

Five more minutes had passed as Sam opened her eyes up slowly. She glanced over and felt warm as she saw her best friend's hand on top of hers. The truth was that she was indeed awake when she felt Carly place it on top of hers a few minutes ago. She looked over at her best friend and realized the brunette girl was asleep by now. Sam smiled, and glanced over to her left side. She had to stifle a laugh as she saw Freddie's sleeping position. He had his head laying back over the top of the chair as he faced towards the ceiling. Small snores came from deep within his throat.

_'Looks like a broken pez dispenser...'_ Sam remarked thoughtfully, chuckling in her mind. _'A noisy one.' _She smiled as she looked down and noticed he had his arm resting on top of the left side of the mattress as if it were the chair's armrest. She glanced at his hand and thought for a moment. _'Oh what the heck...no one's awake to see anyway..' _Sam thought bravely as she moved her hand towards his. She took her own pinky and linked it with his, connecting their fingers together in the smallest way. With one more sigh, Sam looked back towards the ceiling and shut her eyes. The last thing she remembered before falling into a deep sleep was the feeling of both her friends being next to her.

* * *

The hours passed as dawn was starting to crack. Throughout the night Mrs. Benson ran routine checkups on Sam that didn't require her to be woken up such as monitoring her heart beat and making sure her forehead didn't erupt in a feverish heat. By now the gang was currently sleeping peacefully in the room as it was quiet, save for the low hum of the TV.

"Mmm..." Spencer mumbled as he started to wake up. He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with his fists. He gently pulled off his blanket and and shuffled his feet over to the floor. With a few stretches, he glanced around the room to take in his surroundings. It was still pretty dark as the curtains blocked any sunlight from getting in. He looked over at the kids and couldn't help but smile at the scene he saw.

Sam was laying in her bed on her back, as usual, but each of her hands were now connected with her friend's. And if that wasn't cute enough, both Carly and Freddie's heads were resting against the mattress, tilted towards their sick friend. All three of them were dead to the world, each breathing softly in their own rhythm of deep sleep.

"Awwww..." Spencer whispered. "This is definitely a photo op." He told himself quietly as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He scrolled through the menu until he came upon the PIX section. After making his way over to the foot of the bed, he held up the phone horizontally and lined the angle up. Within a few seconds he pressed the middle button, snapping the picture. During this the small device let off a bright light which illuminated the room in one quick second.

"Dangit!" Spencer whispered angrily to himself, forgetting to remove the flash. He looked back over to the kids to see if it disturbed them. Freddie let out a small sigh of discomfort as he tilted his head away, but he didn't open his eyes. He apparently just fell back asleep. Spencer then glanced over at Sam and realized she was completely out of it as the light had absolutely _no_ effect on her. The only one it seemed to really bother was Carly as she started to mumble and wake up.

"Wha--?" She asked as she opened up her eyes and looked around dazed. Her sight finally cleared up as she noticed her brother. "Spencer? What's going on?" She sat up and started to rub her eyes.

"Sorry kiddo.." Spencer replied shamefully. "I kind of shined a light in all of your faces." He explained pitifully.

"Huh?" Carly asked, not understanding. "Why?" She asked cautiously as she stood up and stretched her arms over her head, fully awake.

"Well, you guys were all in this really adorable position, and I just had to take a picture! But I forgot to turn off the flash.."

"Adorable position?" Carly asked awkwardly.

"Yeah! Check it out.." He stated as he handed his sister the phone. Carly took it and glanced at the photo.

"Aww.." She replied.

"Right?" Spencer asked.

"That is cute! And.." She squinted as she looked down at it, noticing a small but unbelievable detail. "Is Sam holding Freddie's hand?!" Carly asked incredulously.

"You tell me." Spencer stated as he pointed over to the bed. Carly turned around and realized her friends had barely moved from the position they were in in the photo.

"Well I'll be.." Carly mumbled as she saw that Sam's pinky was indeed laced around Freddie's. "Too cute." She smiled.

"Now you know why I had to take that picture." Spencer stated. "There'd be no proof of that otherwise."

"Yeah.." Carly replied with a smile as she handed his cell phone back to him. "Just remember to take the flash off next time." She chuckled quietly.

"Will do!" Spencer replied as he slipped his cell back into his pocket. As if on cue, Mrs. Benson walked into the room. She seemed to have a knack for coming in at the right time.....most likely to make up for her knack of coming in at all the wrong times back at the apartment.

"Hello Spencer, Carly." She greeted them. "Is Samantha awake?"

"No.." Carly replied looking over at her best friend. "She and Freddie are still asleep."

"Oh I see." The woman replied glancing over at them.

"So, any news on if Sam gets to go home today or not?" Spencer asked.

"Well..." Mrs. Benson stated as she flipped a few papers on her clipboard. "Every checkup since the operation has had good results, so I do believe she will be permitted to leave today."

"Awesome!" Carly smiled.

"Of course, we're going to have to wait and see how she is when she wakes up, just to make sure."

"Of course." Spencer repeated.

"Though I don't think there's any problem in starting to get things ready for her to go home." Mrs. Benson smiled at the two. "I'll be back a little later when the kids wake up."

"Sounds good." Spencer smiled. He and Carly waved as Mrs. Benson left the room. "Alright.." Spencer looked over at his sister. "So what do we have to do to get ready for Sam?"

"Um..." Carly thought for a moment. "Well she kind of has to have clothes...I mean we don't know how long it's going to be until her mother gets out of the police station."

"You're right.." Spencer murmured. "And Mrs. Benson stated that the recovery time for an appendectomy can take weeks."

"I think we're going to have to go to Sam's house and pick up a few things." Carly added.

"Yeah, you're right." Spencer put a hand on his chin as he looked around. "Maybe I can go and grab the stuff while you and Freddie stay here."

"Uh I think I should come with you." Carly stated thoughtfully.

"Why's that?" Spencer cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't think Sam would feel comfortable about you rifling through her clothes." Carly replied softly with a small smile.

"Oh yeah....you're right..." He spoke slowly, remembering that a teenage girl's outfit didn't just consist of pants and a shirt. "Ok, you're definitely coming." He finished, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Plus, if Sam wakes up while we're gone, she still has Freddie." Carly pointed towards the two sleeping.

"I'm sure she'll be thrilled." Spencer joked as Carly rolled her eyes playfully. "So...should we like wake him up or something? And tell him where we're going?" Spencer asked.

"Nah...I don't think we should."

"But how will he know what's up then?" Spencer asked. Carly thought for a moment until her eyes noticed a small pad of paper and a pen laying on the counter.

"We could leave him a note!" She stated as she walked over and grabbed the supplies. She popped the pen cap off and scribbled down a message.

**Freddie,**

**Spencer and I went to Sam's house to gather up a few of her belongings to bring back to the apartment. We'll try to get back as soon as possible.**

**-Carly**

**(PS- Don't make Sam angry while we're gone.)**

"Nice." Spencer chuckled as he read the message. "How will we know he'll see it?"

"Um.." Carly looked around for a place to put it. "I've got it!" She exclaimed as she made her way over to Freddie. Spencer watched her curiously as she pulled out a bobby pin from her pocket.

"A bobby pin? What is this, the 1950's?" He asked.

"Oh be quiet." She whispered harshly. She then looked back at Freddie and clipped the note to the collar of his shirt with the bobby pin. "There." She spoke as she stood back.

"He'll definitely find that." Spencer smiled.

"That's the point." Carly stated as she walked back over to her chair and sat down to put her shoes on. "Now let's get ready to go. The faster we leave, the faster we can get back...hopefully in time before Sam wakes up."

* * *

**I thought it was cute to add in the scenes of Carly and Freddie having their hands connected with Sam's while they slept. =) And of course, how better to top off such a meaningful moment then for Spencer to mess it up with a huge flash from his cell phone? Haha!**

**And sorry for getting this chapter up a bit late! I actually skipped a few parts of my story to write out an idea I had for a future chapter, so I had to backtrack and write this chapter up, hence the delay!  
**


	40. Evil Cat

Carly walked back over to her chair and sat down to put her shoes on. "Now let's get ready to go. The faster we leave, the faster we can get back...hopefully in time before Sam wakes up."

"True." Spencer agreed as he walked over to the small table by the couch and slipped his tuxedo jacket on over his shirt. He then sat down and put his shoes on as well. "Alright I'm ready." He stated, standing back up.

"Me too." Carly replied until she noticed something. "Oh wait.."

"What?"

"Maybe we should bring some of our stuff out to the car. That way we won't have to do anything when we get back and can take Sam home right away." She said, pointing over towards her bundle of magazines and Freddie's lap top.

"Good idea little sis." Spencer walked over to Freddie's side of the bed and retrieved the boy's computer from the counter while Carly picked up her magazines. Spencer looked back over at her. "That everything?"

"Mhm." Carly nodded.

"Ok, let's go." Spencer stated as they made their way to the door and shut it quietly behind them.

* * *

Time had passed since Spencer and Carly left the hospital. After a quick drive, they were now pulling into Sam's driveway. Spencer put the car into park and shut the ignition off. The two then shuffled out of their seats.

"Alright.." Spencer stated as he shut his door. "What are some of the things we need?"

"Well clothes for one.." Carly replied as she walked alongside her brother towards the porch. She bent down and reached underneath it once more to retrieve the spare key to her friend's house.

"And...?" Spencer asked as they walked up the front steps.

"Uh..." Carly paused for a moment as she inserted the key into the lock and clicked it open. The two siblings walked into the house and shut the door with a click. "I'm not really sure." Carly finally answered her brother's question.

"So, we're just here to grab some clothes?"

"Looks like it." Carly shrugged. "Sam never really carries anything around with her. I mean, at most all she really needs is a computer, tv, refrigerator, and bed. We have all that."

"Ok." Spencer replied. "Why don't you grab some outfits for her while I make sure the house is locked up and everything since no one's going to be here for a bit."

"Sounds good." Carly replied as she made her way over towards the staircase.

* * *

As Carly got to the top of the stairs, she realized that she had left the door to Sam's room open from her last visit. She walked in and took a quick scan of the area. Everything was as she left it. Messy and Sam-like. Carly couldn't help but chuckle. Every time she came into her friend's bedroom, it looked like a disaster area, and she knew Sam had no shame of that. If anything, her friend was quite proud of it. Carly walked across the room, avoiding various wrappers along the way, and stopped in front of a big wooden dresser. She bent down and pulled open a drawer. Glancing at the various articles of clothing, Carly decided to pick out a little bit of everything for her friend. She also made sure to grab a lot of pajama bottoms because she knew Sam would be in no mood to do much but sleep once they got her to the apartment....which technically wasn't different from any of her other visits, but at least her friend had an excuse this time. As Carly worked on the task of getting the outfits set up for Sam, a small shadow was watching her from the corner of the room. It continued to stare as Carly finished gathering up her friend's clothes.

"Need a bag to carry all of this.." Carly talked to herself quietly as she glanced around the room. Her eyes finally fell upon her Sam's garbage can. "Hmm... I wonder.." She reached over and pulled out the bag from the small receptacle. "Perfect." Carly exclaimed, holding it up, noticing that it was as clean as a whistle, courtesy of her friend's dirty habits. As she started putting the clothing into the bag, the small shadow scurried across the floor behind her.

"Huh?" Carly looked back as she thought she heard a rustle, but was confused when she saw nothing there. "Weird.." She remarked turning back around towards the dresser. That was when she saw a huge pair of green eyes staring back at her from the top.

"OH MY GOSH!" Carly jumped back in fear, holding a hand to her heart. Frothy just stared back at her from his position on top of the dresser. He cocked his head curiously at the girl's wild movements. "Dangit Frothy! That's the second time you've scared me!" She exclaimed to the cat.

"Mrow?" He mewed pitifully. Carly just looked back at him for a moment until she realized something. "Oh.....right...."

* * *

Spencer was currently standing in front of two sliding glass doors in the back of the house, making sure the latch was locked in when he heard his sister coming down the stairs.

"Carly? That you?" He called out, turning around and walking back towards the front door.

"Who else?" She replied as she came upon the bottom step.

"Got the clothes?" He asked as he returned through a hallway to see his sister standing there.

"Yep." She replied, holding up the bag with one hand.

"Good." Spencer stated as he looked over at it. His eyes then trailed down to what she had in her other hand. "Cat?" He questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

"Cat." Carly confirmed with a smile.

"Uh..?"

"He's Frothy. Sam's cat."

"Oh." Spencer replied.

"I was wondering what we should do with him? I mean, no one's here to take care of him." Carly stated as she looked at the plump gray furball dangling underneath her arm.

"Mrroww.." Frothy glanced back up at her.

"Oh right.. it may be weeks before anyone comes back here.." Spencer remembered as he looked around the empty house.

"Maybe we could leave a big dish of dried food and water out for him? And like, check up on him every once in a while?" Carly offered.

"We could do that or..." Spencer put a fist under his chin as he thought.

"What?" Carly asked oddly.

"Is he house trained?" Spencer asked as Carly let off a chuckle.

"Of course." She smiled.

"Then why don't we just bring him back to the apartment? You know, while Sam recovers."

"I think Sam would really like that." Carly smiled. "She loves this cat."

"And I can see why.." Spencer cooed as he bent down towards it. "Who's a cute kitty?" Just as he reached out his hand to pet the animal's neck, Frothy hissed angrily and swiped at him with a large paw. "OW!" Spencer yelped, pulling back his hand.

"Whoa, careful!" Carly stated, trying to calm Frothy back down in her arms.

"That cat is demonic!" Spencer exclaimed, holding his scratched up hand away.

"He doesn't like strangers!" Carly replied.

"But how come he's not attacking you then?"

"I'm not a stranger." Carly simply stated. She looked back down at the cat as he looked up at her, letting off a cute meow. He then glanced back at Spencer and gave him the evil eye.

"I don't trust that thing.." Spencer stated slowly, regretting the fact of offering to take him home.

"Don't worry.." Carly stated. "Sam will teach him to like you." She smiled.

"Alright.." Spencer stated cautiously. "Still, is there like a kennel or something we can put him in? I'm not driving with that _creature_ loose in the car."

"Yeah, I think Sam and her mom bought one last year. They got sick of him peeing in the station wagon during trips to the vet." Carly explained.

"Ok, we're definitely caging up the cat." Spencer confirmed, not wanting cat pee on his car seats.

"Alright." Carly laughed. "I'll go check to see if it's in their garage." She stated as she walked over to the couch and set Frothy down on it. As she walked away, Spencer noticed the animal just sat there, not moving an inch as it stared at him oddly.

"Uh...hurry back.." Spencer cried out pitifully as his sister left the room. The two then continued to stare at each other awkwardly for a few minutes until Carly finally returned back with the cage.

"Here, I've got the kennel." Carly stated as she walked back carrying a small cage, while balancing an empty litter box on top with a bag of cat food and bag of litter placed inside it. "And I even found some bags of cat..." Her voice trailed off as she noticed her brother gazing at the animal. "Spencer?" She reached over and snapped her fingers in his face.

"Whoa! What?!" He asked.

"You ok?" She asked awkwardly.

"Yeah..." He rubbed his eyes. "The cat's eyes are like hypnotic or something." He exclaimed. Carly just rolled her eyes in humor.

"Stop playing with Frothy, and help me get him in." She handed her brother the cage and set the litter box on the floor. She then walked over to the couch and plucked the gray lump off the couch. Spencer watched as she walked back over towards him.

"Hey.....does that cat have only one front paw?" He asked oddly, not having realized that small detail until now.

"Yup." Carly replied, gently pushing Frothy into the cage as her brother held it up.

"So he only has three legs?" Spencer asked as his little sister nodded, shutting the kennel door and locking the latch. "That's so weird!" He murmured.

"Hey, it's Sam's cat." Carly shrugged. "Would you expect anything normal?"

"No." Spencer chuckled. "Guess not."

"So is the house locked up?" Carly asked.

"Yup." Spencer nodded as he held up the cage. "And so is the little demon." He smiled as Carly laughed.

"Ok, let's go home to drop off our stuff and get Frothy settled in." She stated as she picked up the litter box and held it under her left arm, while grabbing the bag of clothes with her right hand.

"Sounds good to me." Spencer replied as the two walked out of the front door.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Sam and Freddie were still currently sleeping. That was until the boy let out a huge yawn.

"Mmmm...." He picked his head up from it's position on the back off the chair and lazily opened his eyes. It took him a moment to adjust to the light, but his eyesight eventually cleared up. The first thing he noticed was that the TV was still on as the volume hummed quietly. A news report was currently playing about the effects of chocolate on health or something to that effect. Freddie glanced over at the bottom right corner of the screen to check the time and realized it was early in the morning. Fighting off another yawn, he was about to cover his mouth with his hand until he realized something.

"Huh?" Freddie asked curiously as he looked down. He had to pause for a moment to try and figure out if his eyes weren't going batty on him. After a few seconds, he realized he wasn't seeing things. His pinky was hooked up to Sam's. Freddie glanced over cautiously at the girl and realized she was still asleep.

_'Hmm...could have easily happened by mistake while we were sleeping..'_ Freddie thought awkwardly. He then glanced back down at their hands. As much as he tried to pass it off as nothing, there seemed to be something so...._precise_ about how their fingers were lined up. What confused him the most was that Sam's was _on top_, making her the one who had to initiate the action.

_'Nah......just a coincidence.'_ Freddie quickly dismissed the idea as he looked around the room. That was when he noticed both Carly and Spencer were gone.

"Whoa wait a minute!" He stated softly to himself, sitting up in his chair. As he moved up, he felt a rustling on his shirt. Looking down at his chest, he realized there was a note clipped to him. "What the-?" Freddie wondered quietly as he pulled it off his collar with his free hand. His eyes scanned the message as he read it to himself.

**Freddie,**

**Spencer and I went to Sam's house to gather up a few of her belongings to bring back to the apartment. We'll try to get back as soon as possible.**

**-Carly**

**(PS- Don't make Sam angry while we're gone.)**

"Oh..." Freddie murmured to himself as he folded up the message and put it on the counter. He then glanced back over to Sam. She was still pale and sick looking, but at least she seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He sighed and glanced back down at their pinkies.

"Well, Carly did say not to anger you.." Freddie stated softly as he gently pulled his finger away from her. "But I think I'll chance it.." He replied as he settled his entire hand back on top of hers.

* * *

**Again, I know I'm throwing Seddie people quite a few treats here and there with these small scenes, but one can also take it as a friendship moment! So don't worry all you Creddies and Cams! Or even Spams! I'm making sure not to ruin your ships with my story! xD  
**

**Also, I hope you guys enjoyed the part about Frothy! I always figured he would act just like Sam since they're both vicious and lovable. Lol!  
**


	41. Feeling Better

Spencer and Carly had left Sam's house by now and were currently driving down the road to their apartment. Unfortunately the drive was not a relaxing one.

"Mroow! Mreew! Meooow! Rrrrroowoo..."

"Carly! Can you shut him up for the moment?" Spencer asked his sister pitifully, getting tired of listening to the cat holler and whine in the back seat for the past five minutes. When Carly didn't respond, he glanced over and noticed she had her fingers in her ears. As he looked back towards the road, he gently gave her a shove with his right hand.

"Huh?" Carly popped her fingers out. "You say something?" She looked over at her brother.

"I said..."

"MRROOWWOW.." Frothy yelled out in protest, covering up Spencer's voice as he tried to talk. Carly couldn't help but smile. It looked as though the wail came out of her brother's mouth instead.

"What is with the cat?!" He asked her.

"I don't think he likes the cage....or the car." Carly responded.

"Mrreh..." Frothy huffed, as if to say _'no duh'._

"Well good thing we're almost home!" Spencer exclaimed as he noticed the Bushwell Plaza building was in sight.

"MROW!"

"Yeah...good thing." Carly added, feeling her eardrums start to ring.

* * *

The two had parked their car in the parking area and were now walking into their building. Carly was holding the litter box and cat supplies along with the bag of clothes, while Spencer carried the loud demon cat in the cage. As soon as they walked into the lobby, Frothy let out another wail of displeasure.

"MROOW!" As Frothy yelled, Lewbert jumped up from behind the counter, tossing a newspaper he was reading into the air. The papers fluttered to the ground.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT THING?!" He screamed angrily, pointing to the kennel.

"MRRRAHH" Frothy continued to wail.

"It's a cat.." Spencer stated bashfully.

"Cat?" Lewbert cocked an eyebrow. "CAT?!" His voice got drastically louder.

"Yeah.." Carly replied. "They're furry little things with whiskers, tails, four paws, or in this case...three..." She trailed off.

"NO PETS!" Lewbert screamed.

"What?" Spencer asked.

"NO PETS ARE ALLOWED." The doorman replied angrily.

"They are too allowed!" Carly stepped forward and pointed to a sign on the wall that said domestic animals were allowed to be kept as pets on the premises of the building.

"WELL THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT!" Lewbert exclaimed as he walked around the front desk and bent down to retrieve his newspaper from the floor.

"MROW!" Frothy screamed at him.

"RARRRARAR!" Lewbert yelled back to the cage before grabbing up his papers in a messy bundle and walking through the back door and slamming it behind him.

"Yeesh.." Spencer mumbled. "I don't know which once was louder. Lewbert or you." He glanced down at Frothy.

"C'mon, let's go." Carly chuckled as they walked over to the elevator.

* * *

The elevator let out a small ding as the doors opened to reveal the Shay's loft. As the two stepped out, Carly looked around.

"Man...it feels like it's been forever since we were last here." She stated as she walked over to the table where their computer was and set down the cat supplies.

"Hospitals tend to mess up time.." Spencer replied as he placed the cat carrier next to the litter box. "So uh..do we set this thing free now or what?"

"It's not a bear Spencer. He won't kill you." Carly chuckled.

"That's one person's opinion." He crossed his arms and looked away from her. Carly rolled her eyes and laughed as she reached over and unlocked the cage door. Frothy sat in the back, eyeing her cautiously.

"Psh psh psh, c'mon Frothy." Carly cooed gently. The cat reluctantly hobbled out of the cage on it's one front paw and looked around the room.

"Mrow?"

"Yeah I know, it's a new place.." Carly explained gently as she picked the cat up.

"What are you going to do with him?" Spencer asked oddly.

"I think I'll settle him upstairs in my room."

"Why there?"

"Well, when Sam gets back, I'm going to let her sleep in my room so she can recover better. She needs an actual bed as opposed to a couch." Carly explained.

"Oh right."

"Can you follow me and bring up the supplies?" Carly asked as she grabbed the bag of clothes, and walked away with Frothy in her arms to the elevator.

"Sure." Spencer replied. "Let me just grab some bowls to feed the cat with." He explained as he walked over to the kitchen. After picking two out, he returned back to the living room. He placed them inside the litter box, next to the bags, and picked all of it up at once.

"Ready?" Carly asked her brother, pressing the button at the elevator.

"Yup." Spencer stated, balancing the cat supplies in his hand.

* * *

The two siblings got out on the 2nd floor of their apartment and walked into Carly's room. The bedroom was standard looking for a teenage girl. Her bed had a light purple comforter on it and there was a white dresser drawer in the corner of the room with a small vanity mirror and desk to the side. To the other side of the room was a big window on the wall that displayed a nice view of the Seattle skyline. The room was also impeccably neat, unlike her best friend's.

"Here.." Carly stated as she walked over to her bed and plopped the cat down. Frothy sat up, looking around the room and back to her awkwardly.

"Man.." Spencer moaned as he also walked over to the bed and set all the stuff down on top of it. "Why does such a little thing need so much?" He exclaimed. Frothy just glared back at him.

"Mreh.." The cat huffed once more. Spencer eyed the animal curiously and tilted towards Carly, leaning to whisper into her ear.

"I think it knows what I'm saying." He spoke nervously.

"Oh c'mon." Carly chuckled. "Leave the cat alone."

"Fine, fine!" Spencer put his hands up in defeat. "Now how do we set this all up?"

"Well.." Carly took out all the supplies from the box and set them down on her bed individually. "We can put the litter box outside in the hall next to my doorway."

"What?! You mean we're going to leave the door open and let the animal run free?" Spencer was shocked.

"Oh calm down. He's well behaved and won't run off...." Carly replied, picking up the bag of litter and litter box. "...or kill you." She added as she walked back out of the room followed by her brother. He watched as she set down the box and ripped open the bag, pouring the little rocks into it.

"I don't know about this.." Spencer stated cautiously, watching his sister finish filling the box.

"Stop being such a worrywart!" She exclaimed, standing up and handing him the empty bag. "Like I said before, Sam will teach him to like you. That cat listens to her."

"Fine..." Spencer mumbled as he followed his sister back into her room. They both noticed that Frothy was now laying across her bed, fully stretched out and looking very relaxed.

"Well I see you've had no trouble making yourself at home." Carly smiled as she walked over and scratched him behind his ear. The cat looked up at her gratefully and let off a small meow.

"Yup, definitely Sam's cat." Spencer chuckled. "I think he likes your queen size bed."

"Me too." Carly replied as she noticed that cat was completely sprawled out. "I'll set up the food for him now."

"Ok." Spencer replied. "I'm going to go downstairs and change out of this tux. It's starting to get a bit hot." He added, pulling at the collar.

"Alright, I'll come down when I'm done. Then we can leave."

"Sounds good." Spencer replied as he turned around and walked out of the room. Carly watched her brother leave and then turned around and hummed to herself quietly as she started to set up the bowls of dried cat food and water in the corner of her room. Once done, she turned back around towards the cat.

"Your food's over here ok?" She told the gray lump. He responded by flicking his tail happily. "And your litter box is outside." She added. Once again, his tail flicked back. She couldn't help but smile as she walked over to the animal and gave him a soft stroke over his back. "You _are _cute."

"Mrow.." He purred as he laid his head down against the mattress.

Carly smiled at him as she stood up. She then noticed the bag of clothes on her bed. "Hmm...Sam won't be needing _all_ of this." She thought as she grabbed it and dumped the clothing out on her mattress. She rummaged through a few things until she found a soft pair of pajama pants and a plain t-shirt. She shoved the articles of clothing into the bag along with some underwear and tied it back up.

_'She only needs one outfit at the hospital anyway.' _Carly thought as she grabbed the rest of her friend's clothing in an armful and walked over to her dresser. She had one empty drawer and decided to put the clothes in there. When Carly was done, she shut the compartment and glanced over towards her desk and noticed one of her own jackets was draped across the back of the chair. "I'll bring this too." Carly stated softly as she walked over to it and picked it up. The jacket was light but warm, and could really help her friend out if she was still cold. She slung the gray piece of clothing over her shoulder, grabbed the bag with Sam's outfit in it, and walked towards the door.

"Now Frothy.." She turned around as the cat lifted it's head up and perked it's ears. "You be a good boy now."

"Mroow.." Frothy responded, laying back down. Carly chuckled and left the room.

* * *

After deciding to take the stairs, Carly stopped at the bottom step in the main loft to notice her brother sitting at the computer. He was now dressed in a red t-shirt and dark blue jeans.

"Spencer?"

"Mhm?" He asked, swiveling on his seat to face her. "You ready?"

"Yup." She nodded.

"Alright, let's head on back to the hospital!"

* * *

During this time, Freddie sat quietly as Sam continued to sleep. The boy glanced over at their hands and sighed.

"She's still a bit cold.." Freddie thought out loud to himself quietly. "Maybe I could warm her up.." He stated, gently squeezing her hand. As soon as he gave her a small squeeze though, Sam opened her eyes.

"OW!" She yelled.

"What?! What?!" Freddie cried out as he jumped up from his seat, removing his hands from hers quickly. He looked back over at his friend worriedly. "Did I hurt you?!" He asked, referring to her hand. Sam just looked back at him with a tired smile.

"No...I was just kidding." She couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sam!" Freddie cried out pathetically as he sat back down, his heartbeat slowly returning to normal. "Were you uh... awake all this time?" He asked, getting over his initial shock and starting to feel embarrassed.

"Not the _whole_ time.." Sam replied with a yawn.

_'Phew..' _Freddie thought.

"But you're right, I am still a bit cold." She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them back up. "But thanks for trying to keep me warm...hotstuff." She looked over at him with a sly smile. His cheeks began to turn red as she laughed. As much as she enjoyed torturing Freddie, she decided to see how her best friend was doing and looked over towards her right and saw an empty chair. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked over towards the couch and noticed Spencer was gone as well. Freddie watched as he saw her look around the bed.

"Um, what are you looking for?" He asked bashfully, wishing his cheeks would return to their normal color as he could just _tell_ they were flushed.

"Where's Carly and Spencer?!" Sam asked frantically. She felt her chest grow tight as panic started to set in. She looked back at him with worried eyes.

"They just went to your house to grab a few things to take back to the apartment! They said they'll be right back! No need to worry!" He responded quickly. He watched as her face lightened up.

"Oh..." Sam replied sadly. Freddie continued to look down at her sympathetically and she suddenly started to feel quite small under his gaze. She averted his eyes and continued looking around the bed once more. "Where is that stupid thing...?" She huffed to herself quietly.

"What thing?" Freddie asked.

"The bed remote." Sam stated tiredly.

"Oh.." He reached over and picked it up. "Here it is. You want the mattress moved up a bit?"

"Yes." Sam replied. She was currently laying down and wanted to sit upright to see her friend better. Freddie gently pushed the up button until she was in a good sitting position. "Thanks Fredward." She replied as he set the remote down on the bed.

"You're welcome...Puckett." He smiled. She smiled back until she noticed the room behind him was starting to tilt a bit.

"Oh...whoa.." She moaned, putting her hands against her eyes. Freddie sat up when he noticed this.

"You ok?"

"Er...yeah.." Sam replied hesitantly. "Just a bit dizzy.."

"You want to lay back down?" He offered.

"No.." Sam mumbled quietly, letting one of her her hands fall back to the mattress as she kept the other one across her eyes.

"Do you need the basin..?" Freddie asked slowly. Sam just shook her head no in response, staying still. The boy watched her cautiously as she sat there quiet and unmoving. He noticed her hand on the bed and gently reached over and grabbed it lightly, to try and give her some sort of comfort. She made no acknowledgment of the fact other than giving his hand a gentle squeeze in return. Freddie patiently stayed quiet as Sam tried to get rid of the feeling.

_'God this is bad..' _Sam moaned in her head as she felt like the room was spinning in all different directions. The only thing that helped tie her down to some sort of balance was her friend's hand, and she was grateful to be holding it. The two kids stayed quiet for a few minutes until Sam gently removed her hand from her eyes.

"You alright?" Freddie asked nervously, noticing she was even paler than before, and that her hand felt like an ice cube.

"I think it's going away now.." She replied quietly. Letting off a soft moan, she sat back into her pillows and sighed.

"Feeling better?" Freddie realized the color was starting to come back to her face, as little as it was.

"Mhm." Sam nodded tiredly. Freddie gently patted her hand and let go. She sighed. "I think it was from sitting right after waking up."

"But you're definitely ok now?" He asked, still unsure.

"Yeah, feeling a lot better. Thanks." She smiled at him.

"That's good." Freddie smiled. "I think that's the first time you've woken up without puking."

"You're right." Sam replied. "About time." The two kids chuckled. Just then Mrs. Benson came back into the room.

"Oh, you're up." She smiled as she noticed both her patient and son were awake.

"Yup." Freddie replied as Sam nodded.

"How are you feeling?" Mrs. Benson asked as she walked over to the side of the bed.

"A little better than yesterday." Sam replied. "I still woke up dizzy but it went away."

"That's good." The woman stated as she picked up her patient's wrist and checked her pulse. Sam and Freddie stayed quiet until she finished. "Now.." Mrs. Benson stood up. "Do you feel up to eating anything?"

"Eat?" Sam thought for a moment. While it was true that she felt pretty crappy when she woke up, she realized she was a bit hungry now. "Um, what do you have?" She wondered.

"Soft foods like yogurt, apples, maybe some cereal.." Mrs. Benson replied.

"Cereal?" Sam perked up.

"Cheerios specifically."

"Can I have some of that...with milk?" Sam asked. A bowl of cold cereal sounded really good and didn't make her stomach feel like doing flip flops.

"Sure." Mrs. Benson replied with a smile as she turned around and left the room.

"I guess you _are_ feeling better." Freddie smiled.

"Yeah." Sam replied. "Yesterday, I would have just puked at the thought of eating, but now I'm kind of hungry."

"Looks like you're going back to normal." Freddie laughed.

* * *

**I couldn't help but have Sam play a prank on Freddie in the beginning of their scene with the whole -"OW!" Get off my hand!- thing. It just seemed like something she would do at that moment, especially since she was feeling better lol.**

**(Also, I had Frothy whine and moan in the car because my cats always do that whenever they have to go to the vet! They won't shut up for the entire car ride! I'm basing a lot of things Frothy does by my own cats. =P)  
**


	42. Doctor's Orders

"I guess you _are_ feeling better." Freddie smiled.

"Yeah." Sam replied. "Yesterday, I would have just puked at the thought of eating, but now I'm kind of hungry."

"Looks like you're going back to normal." Freddie laughed.

"Eh, sort of." Sam shrugged. "I still feel like the gum under someone's shoe. I'm so tired all the time.." She let out a yawn. "I just woke up and even now I want to go back to sleep.."

"So....like I said, you're going back to normal." Freddie smirked.

"Oh shut up Benson." Sam smiled playfully at him. "So...how long have you been up for?" She wondered.

"Um.." Freddie looked over at the clock. "I dunno. Half hour maybe?"

"Oh, ok." Sam let out another yawn.

"You know...I don't mind if you close your eyes and relax until my mom comes back. You don't have to talk to me if you don't want." Freddie offered, seeing that she was still pretty tired.

"Oh wow Freddie, now don't sweet talk me now." Sam smiled at him.

"Sweet talk you?" He cocked an eyebrow, not understanding what she meant.

"You just told me I didn't have to talk to you. That's a pretty kind offer..." Sam chuckled softly as she closed her eyes.

"Oh shut up Puckett." He responded with a laugh.

"Now that's no way...to be talking..to someone...at a hospital.." Sam replied quietly, her eyes still closed. Freddie glanced down at her and realized she was fading out. After a few seconds of silence, he noticed she wasn't making an attempt to open her eyes or keep the conversation going, so he decided to sit back in his chair and watch the TV screen for a bit. Three minutes passed until Mrs. Benson came back in with a bowl of cereal and a tray.

"Hi mom." Freddie responded softly.

"Oh, is she.....?" The woman began to ask if her patient was awake or not before Sam perked up.

"No, I'm not sleeping." Sam replied opening her eyes. Freddie couldn't help but smile. At that point he wasn't even sure if his friend was awake or not either.

"Oh, ok." Mrs. Benson smiled as she walked over to the bed. "Here's your cereal." She stated as she helped set the tray over Sam's lap. The tray was shaped so that it didn't put any pressure on her patient as it arched over her stomach and stood against the mattress.

"Thank you." Sam replied gratefully.

"You're welcome." Mrs. Benson smiled as she watched Sam pick up the spoon and slurp a bite of the cereal. "Now when you're done with your breakfast, the doctor is going to come in and tell you what you'll need to do at home to recover." As the woman finished talking, Sam looked up at her in surprise.

_'I totally forgot about going home today!'_ She thought in her head excitedly. "So wait.." Sam spoke out loud. "Does that mean I get to go home?" She wanted to double check. Mrs. Benson nodded yes in response. "Cool!" Sam replied happily.

"That's great news!" Freddie smiled.

"So just relax and finish up your cereal, and then we'll get things started for your departure." Mrs. Benson explained with a smile.

"Ok!" Sam nodded happily. And with that Mrs. Benson left the room. As the woman started to walk down the hallway, she saw Spencer and Carly round the corner. They perked up when they noticed her.

"Oh, hello Mrs. Benson! Everything alright?" Spencer asked as they stopped to talk each other.

"Yes, everything is fine." She smiled. "Samantha woke up not too long ago and seems to have her appetite back. She's currently eating a bowl of Cheerios." The woman smiled.

"That's good." Carly responded happily.

"So how does it look? About her going home I mean?" Spencer asked cautiously.

"After she finishes her breakfast, she will be allowed to leave." Mrs. Benson confirmed.

"Oh wow!" Spencer exclaimed as he looked back at Carly and shared a smile with her.

"But.." The woman started to say. "Before you leave, the doctor will come in and tell you what pain medication she has to take and what she has to do to recover. You're her current caretaker so you'll need to follow these instructions to ensure the best care for her."

"Of course." Spencer replied. "Is it alright if we go in?" He asked referring to the door.

"Mhm." Mrs. Benson confirmed. "She's just sitting with Freddie."

"Thanks!" Carly responded as they waved to her and walked towards Sam's room and opened the door. They looked in and watched as Sam looked up from her bowl.

"Hey!" She greeted, really happy to see that they were there.

"Hey Sam." Carly smiled as she walked over to the bed. "Sorry we couldn't get back to you in time before you woke up." She stated, looking over at her brother.

"It's alright." Sam replied. "Freddie kept me company." She smiled.

"And he's still alive?!" Spencer asked in shock. The kids let off a small laugh. As they calmed down, Sam bit down another spoonful of her cereal and swallowed it.

"So how are you doing?" Carly asked as she set the bag of clothes down on the counter. She then walked over and sat down in her seat at the right side of the bed.

"A little better. I can eat." Sam smiled proudly, tilting the cereal bowl to show her friend it was almost empty. Carly chuckled.

"That's good."

"Yeah." Sam agreed, taking another spoonful of the cereal to her mouth. "And I don't even want to puke." She mumbled, her voice muffled by the Cheerios.

"That is also good." Spencer added with a smile.

"Mhm." Sam replied, pulling her spoon out of the bowl and raising it to her mouth to slurp the milk down. As soon as she finished, Carly stood up from her seat.

"Want me to get that out of your way?"

"Yeah, thanks." Sam replied gratefully as her friend picked up the tray and moved it over to the counter. Just then the door opened and Mrs. Benson returned with another nurse.

"Are you finished with your breakfast?" The woman asked. Sam glanced over at the counter and nodded. As Mrs. Benson walked over to retrieve it, Sam leaned over towards Freddie.

"Your mom's kind of scary.." She whispered.

"Huh?" Freddie asked.

"How does she know to come in at the right time _all the time_?" Sam wondered as he shrugged. Sam sighed and glanced around the room. "I bet they have this place bugged."

"This isn't the CIA." Freddie chuckled. Mrs. Benson then walked back over towards the kids.

"I've brought Nurse Stefan with me to get you ready." She explained.

"Get me ready?" Sam asked awkwardly.

"Yes, she's going to remove all the tubing and such." Mrs. Benson pointed to her IV.

"Oh..." Sam replied. Just then she remembered the catheter. "_Oh_..." She added, flustered.

"Spencer, Carly, Freddie, can you come with me out into the hall?" Mrs. Benson asked as she nodded towards the door.

"Sure." Spencer replied as the kids got up from their seats. Carly looked down as her friend let out a soft moan.

"Hey...just remember, you'll be leaving in a little bit." She stated softly, trying to ease Sam's mind from getting unhooked.

"True." Sam smiled up at her. And with that her friends made their way over to the door and left the room. Mrs. Benson shuffled out behind them with the tray in her hand and shut the door. Now it was just Sam and Nurse Stefan in the room.

"Alright, let's get these tubes out." She stated kindly. Sam just shut her eyes and tried to go to a happy place.

* * *

Meanwhile, Spencer and the gang waited patiently out in the hall.

"So, you guys find everything ok at Sam's house?" Freddie asked.

"Yup." Carly nodded her head. "All we really had to grab were some clothes. Anything else she might need we have at our apartment."

"True." Freddie replied.

"Oh, and we did grab one.....other thing." Spencer stated cautiously.

"Huh?" Freddie asked. Carly looked at her brother curiously before she realized what he was talking about.

"Oh yeah." She let off a small chuckle. "We brought Frothy back with us."

"Frothy? Sam's cat?" Freddie asked.

"Yup." Carly replied.

"But that thing is evil!" Freddie stated.

"SEE? I TOLD YOU!" Spencer exclaimed to his sister.

"Oh will you guys come off it? It's just a cat!" Carly replied. Just as Spencer was about to say another word of protest, Nurse Stefan came back out of the room.

"You may go back in now." She nodded.

"Thank you." Carly replied as the guys nodded their heads. They all shuffled back into through the door to see Sam laying in her bed with her eyes shut tight.

"Sam?" Carly asked cautiously.

"Is it over?" Sam asked weakly, not opening her eyes.

"Um, yeah.." Freddie stated. She cracked one eye open and looked at them.

"Just at tip for you guys....never get appendicitis." She stated flatly. Carly gave a small chuckle.

"We'll try to remember that." She stated.

"So you ok?" Freddie asked.

"Meh.." Sam shrugged. "My arm hurts.." She looked over at where her IV was inserted. "Among _other_ things.." She stated, referring to her catheter situation. The kids gave her a sympathetic smile as the door opened once more. They watched as Mrs. Benson came back in with a man holding a clipboard. Spencer, Carly and Freddie instantly recognized him as Dr. Smith.

"Uh.." Sam looked up at the man, not knowing who he was.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Smith, the surgeon who operated on you." He greeted the girl.

"Oh...um thanks...?" Sam stated awkwardly. He gave a small laugh.

"So how are you doing?"

"Feel like crap." Sam replied. He cocked an eyebrow, not expecting such direct honesty, but then gave her a soft smile.

"Unfortunately surgery does that." He replied gently.

"Yeah, it really does." Sam yawned. "So what's up doc?" She asked. Carly and Freddie couldn't help but smile. It was pretty funny to watch their friend's personality come back.

"Well I'm here to tell you and your guardian how to take care of yourself when you get home." Dr. Smith smiled.

"Do I get to sleep?" Sam asked bluntly. He gave a small laugh.

"Of course."

"That's good." She replied.

"Now, you're going to have to take it easy for a while." He explained, looking at a clipboard in his hand. "You can't lift anything above 10 pounds."

"Oh darn.." Sam replied. "There goes my weight lifting class on Tuesday."

The doctor peered at her from over his clipboard and laughed. "Also, you will be allowed to take a shower tomorrow. No baths though."

"Alright." Sam nodded.

"And make sure you keep your incision clean." He stated pointing to her stomach. "You will need to wipe it down with soap and water everyday and change the bandages when needed. Pinkish or clear discharge is common for 2-3 days after surgery." He explained as Sam grimaced. "But, if there's thick yellow or foul smelling discharge, or bleeding, you will need to call my office immediately."

"That's gross." Sam replied.

"Yes, but it may also mean trouble, so you can't hesitate to call if that happens." He stated, glancing over towards Spencer who gave a nod of the head to show he understood.

"Also.." The doctor flipped over a piece of paper on his clipboard. "I see that you've had some trouble recuperating from the anesthesia."

"Yeah, just a bit.." Sam stated sarcastically.

"Well, because of the vomiting, we recommend that you go on the BRAT diet." He explained. Sam cocked her eyebrow and looked over at Freddie. He just glanced back at her.

"What?" Freddie asked oddly, wondering why she was staring at him.

"Really? _Nothing _Fredward?" Sam asked.

"What are you talking about?!" He asked, not understanding.

"I'm being put on the _brat_ diet, and you have nothing to say about that?" She looked over at him curiously.

"No....I didn't find the timing right." He shrugged. Sam rolled her eyes and laughed.

"You can't pass up an insult like that, especially when the lead in is so perfect." She replied as she looked back over at her doctor. Freddie leaned over to Carly and whispered in her ear.

"That's weird...it's like Sam _wanted_ me to insult her." He stated quietly as Carly thought for a moment.

"I think she just wants things to go back to normal." She whispered back.

"Oh..." Freddie added, realizing she was right.

"So..." Sam asked her doctor. "What exactly is a BRAT diet?"

"Well, BRAT stands for bananas,rice, applesauce, and toast. It helps with nausea." Dr. Smith explained.

"Ohhh...ok." Sam replied.

"For the first week of recovery I would recommend that you stick to those foods and other soft ones such as yogurt so your digestive tract can ease back into a normal flow."

"Alright." Sam nodded.

"Which means no beef jerky!" Carly cut in. Sam looked at her and smiled sheepishly.

"Ok, ok!" She held her hands up in defeat.

"Now, while you may feel tired, I would like you to try and increase your daily activity." The doctor stated.

"Such as...?" Sam wondered.

"Walking and moving around. I recommend trying to walk at least three times a day. Also, try to limit the amount of time you spend in bed by a little each day."

"Uh oh, Sam may have a bit of trouble with that last one." Freddie chuckled. Sam shot him a glare, but was grateful he found the courage to crack a joke at her expense.

"But, I don't want you to push yourself too hard." Dr. Smith added. "While trying to stay active, remember that you also have to rest when you feel the need to. Over exertion will make things worse."

"We'll make sure she takes care of herself properly." Spencer nodded as Sam sighed, feeling like a burden to them.

"And that basically takes care of the home details." The doctor explained as he pulled the piece of paper off his clipboard and handed it to Spencer. "This paper contains all the information I've told you along with the BRAT diet."

"Thanks." Spencer replied, folding it up carefully and placing it into his pocket.

"Also, I'm giving you a prescription for Vicodin."

"Vicodin?" Sam asked.

"It's a painkiller." He explained, handing two pieces of paper over to Spencer with the details of the prescription written out on them and the slip to hand in to the pharmacy to get the pills. "Start with one every four hours and increase the intake to two if that doesn't help. And you should take the pills with food. If they make you nauseated, try extra strength Tylenol or Advil."

"And knowing my luck, they will." Sam stated flatly.

"And lastly." Dr. Smith replied, flipping to another page. "If you get a small fever, do not worry unless it goes over 101 degrees. If it gets that high, contact my office immediately."

"So a fever of 99 degrees or something is alright then?" Spencer asked.

"After surgeries such as this, it's common for patients to get a low grade fever." The doctor confirmed.

"Ok." Spencer nodded. Sam sighed.

_'Sounds like I'm still in for a pretty suckish time..'_ She thought sadly.

"Alright." Dr. Smith flipped the pages of his clipboard back to the front. "Just follow these instructions, and I'll see you again in a week for a follow up." He smiled down at Sam. "Nurse Benson will now help prepare you for your leave."

"Finally!" Sam stated.

* * *

**I was going to have Sam leave the hospital in this chapter, but then I realized I had a few more details to write out before I could post it up! Sorry guys!  
**

**Also, I do have a question to answer here! In my reviews iCarlyFanFreek825 asked me a what pairing I ship! First of all, I just wanted to thank you for your very kind review iCarlyFanFreek825****! I always appreciate them! And to answer your question, if I had to pick a ship, I guess I would say I'm for the Seddie side. BUT, I'm not really into the whole shipping scene. I prefer Carly,Sam, and Freddie as friends and would rather watch the show as such then have them get into romantic relationships. So basically to sum it up, if Seddie is going to happen, I hope it happens at the very end. I like how the show is now and I don't want anything to mess up with the balance of their friendship. =P (Hence the reason I write my stories like this...minus the few treats I throw in here and there for my readers. xD)  
**


	43. Going Home

"Alright." Dr. Smith flipped the pages of his clipboard back to the front. "Just follow these instructions, and I'll see you again in a week for a follow up." He smiled down at Sam. "Nurse Benson will now help prepare you for your leave."

"Finally!" Sam stated. The doctor gave her one last smile before walking out of the room.

"Samantha?" Mrs. Benson asked as she walked over towards the bed. "Will you be needing to use the restroom before you get ready to leave?"

Sam looked down. "No.." She replied quietly, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Alright." Mrs. Benson smiled softly. "Now we do have the clothes you originally came in with if you want to change back into them now." The woman explained as she bent down towards a cabinet and retrieved the outfit.

"Oh wait!" Carly stated as she walked over to the counter. "We brought back a new set of clothes for you Sam..." Carly grabbed the bag, walked over to the bed, and handed it to her friend. "I picked out a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt for you since they're easy to slip on. I hope that's ok?" She asked. "I figured you'd want something comfortable."

"You figured right." Sam smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Carly replied kindly before looking back at Mrs. Benson. "I can hold her other outfit." She explained as the woman handed her the bundle of clothes.

"Ok.." Spencer started to say. "We'll leave now so you can change." Sam nodded her head thankfully as her friends made their way to the door.

"Also.." Mrs. Benson cut in. "There's a screen set up in the corner of the room if you'd like to change behind it for extra privacy. Will you be needing any help?"

Sam's cheeks turned a bit red. "N-no, I can manage." She replied. _'I think...' _If there was only one thing she could force herself to do alone today, it was going to be this.

"Alright, let me just help you up." Mrs. Benson stated as she walked over to the bedside and helped Sam sit.

_'This hurts..'_ Sam sighed in her head as Mrs. Benson continued to help her swing her feet over the bed and stand.

"You alright?" The nurse asked. "Can you walk?" She had to make sure her patient wasn't dizzy and could keep herself up.

"Yeah, I'm fine.." Sam replied quietly, walking a few steps and realizing she had the capability to stay up...for now. While she wasn't going to pass out, she was still extremely tired.

"Alright." Mrs. Benson smiled sympathetically. "Your friends will be waiting out in the hall. Just come to the door when you're finished." And with that she walked out of the room and shut the door behind her with a click.

Sam let out a soft sigh as she dragged her feet across the floor, her stomach hurting with each small movement. "Ow.." She moaned, knowing that if the pain felt this bad just by walking, changing her clothes was going to be quite a chore. She clutched the bag which held her outfit in it and slowly hobbled over behind the screen. Once behind it, she took out her clothes and began the difficult task. The room was silent for a little bit until...

"Crap! This really hurts!" Her voice yelped from behind the screen.

After a few short moments, Sam returned from out of the corner, fully dressed in a white t-shirt and black and red plaid pajama pants. She walked over and tossed her hospital gown to the bed. _'That was just as bad as I thought it was going to be...actually worse..'_ She thought to herself tiredly as she held a hand over the right side of her stomach. The dull achy pain she had grown accustomed to was now throbbing harder. She cursed her luck as she slowly dragged herself over to the door. Instead of grasping the handle, she paused for a moment, and rested against it. Her body was extremely tired and she felt a bit nauseous from the pain. After a few moments, the sick feeling began to subside and she felt well enough to have her friends come back in. She opened the door and saw that they were waiting patiently for her out in the hall, just like Mrs. Benson stated.

Spencer glanced up as he heard the door creak open. "You alright?" He asked, noticing Sam looked a bit paler.

"For the most part." She replied, leaning against the door frame.

"Is it alright to come in?" Freddie asked.

"Mhm." Sam nodded as she stepped back into the room. Her friends came filing back through the doorway.

"It's good to see you up." Carly smiled as she stood next to her friend. Her smile faded when she noticed Sam was holding her right side. "Are you ok though?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just sore...tired....." Sam let off a small shiver. "...cold." She finished, depressed about the return of her chills.

"Oh yeah, I brought you one of my jackets too." Carly remembered as she walked back over to the counter and picked up the forgotten article of clothing. "Here." She stated as she held out the jacket for her best friend to put on.

"Thanks." Sam replied, wiggling her arms into the sleeves as Carly held it up behind her.

"You're welcome. That better?"

"Much." Sam replied as she started to feel it keep the body heat around her.

"Oh, and here are your sneakers." Spencer stated as he held them up by the laces. Sam gulped nervously.

"T-thanks.." She replied softly as he handed them over to her. She didn't really want her friends to watch her struggle with them, and Carly noticed her hesitation.

"Want me to put them on?" She asked softly.

"Yes please?" Sam asked with a sheepish smile. There was no way she was going to be able to bend down to her feet and as stubborn as she was, even she understood there were certain time to give up. This was one of them.

"Alright." Carly smiled as Sam handed the sneakers over to her. She crouched down and helped her friend step into them. As Carly started to tie up her shoes, Sam looked down and noticed the jacket was open in the front. She figured it would stay warmer closed and slowly grabbed the metal edges. She tried to connect the two pieces, but failed the first few times.

"Need help?" Carly asked gently, glancing up from the floor as she finished working on Sam's left shoe and went to tie up the right one.

"Urf....no.." Sam mumbled down in response, continuing to fiddle around with the impossible device. She was starting to get tired of straining her neck to look down at it, and finally gave up. "Ugh, I can't do anything!" She moaned tilting her head up as she let her arms dangle at her sides in defeat.

"It's alright." Freddie gave a small laugh as he walked over to her and connected the zipper. She watched quietly as he began to pull up the small metal latch. Sam just sighed sadly as Carly continued working on her shoes while Freddie fixed up her jacket for her. She glanced over and noticed that Spencer was looking at her, watching both her friends get her dressed properly.

"Hey, at least I got my pants on by myself!" Sam called over to him in defense.

"I didn't say a word!" Spencer replied.

"Your eyes did." Sam added. By now Freddie had pulled the zipper up to the top and backed away.

"There." He stated with a smile as he finished closing up her jacket for her. Carly also finished with her task on her friend's shoes and stood up.

"You know, I could have done it myself Fredward..." Sam spat out, trying to stay tough.

"Oh I know...but we didn't feel like waiting another hour." Freddie stated as he pointed to Carly and Spencer. Sam glared at him.

"You're so funny..." She replied sarcastically as she lifted her hand up and smacked him on the arm. He flinched by instinct but realized that there was no pain. He wasn't sure if it was just because she had no strength, or because she wasn't trying to hurt him, but either way, it felt like a small shove as opposed to a hard slap. "Thanks though....both of you guys..." Sam mumbled as she looked down at her closed jacket and tied shoes. That confirmed it for him that she had no intention of inflicting any pain.

"You're welcome." He gave a soft smile as Carly nodded.

"Samantha, are you ready to go?" Mrs. Benson's voice came from the door.

"Yeah, definitely! I.." As she turned around to face the woman, Sam realized she was wheeling in a wheel chair. "What is that?!" She asked, eyeing it curiously.

"Um it's a chair with wheels..." Spencer stated quietly as he leaned over to whisper the rest in her ear. "_I think they call it a wheelchair_." Sam rolled her eyes at him.

"I know that!" She yelled back, wincing at the motion. "I mean...why?" She added softly.

"It's a precaution that the hospital takes with patients. After surgery, we have to wheel you out of the building."

"Oh..." Sam replied slowly. _'Great, another thing to make me look as strong as a tub of cottage cheese..'_ She thought sadly.

"Here, why don't you sit down?" Mrs. Benson offered gently as she wheeled the chair up to her patient.

"Ok." The girl replied reluctantly as she turned around and gently bent back into the seat. She had to grip the armrests as she lowered herself down. The area that hurt the most on her was her stomach, and bending the muscles back and forth was making it throb worse and she was just so tired from all of this. Carly and Freddie watched sympathetically as their friend grimaced. It was obvious she was still in quite a bit of pain.

"Is that alright?" Mrs. Benson asked as Sam shuffled around in her seat, trying to get comfortable.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine.." Sam waved it off. "But..." She looked back over at Spencer, Carly and Freddie. "I _could_ walk out of here if they let me, you know."

"We know." Spencer smiled, as he realized she felt ashamed of having to be wheeled out. "It's just hospital rules. We understand."

Sam gave a small appreciative smile. In all honesty she really was too tired to walk anywhere, and knew Spencer and her friends could see this as well. "Thanks." She replied softly, grateful for them going along with her excuse.

Spencer smiled back at her before turning around to face Freddie and Carly. "Alrighty guys, do you have everything that you came here with?" He asked, checking to make sure that they had all of their belongings.

"No.." Sam replied softly as Spencer turned back around to her.

"Huh?"

"I've seem to have misplaced my appendix somewhere..." She replied, glancing around the room pretending to look for it. Spencer and the kids couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well other than Sam's mysteriously missing appendix, I think we have everything." Carly laughed.

"Good, then let's get the heck out of here!" Spencer smiled.

"Amen to that." Sam added as Mrs. Benson turned the chair around and wheeled her out of the room, followed by her friends.

* * *

A few moments passed as the iCarly gang continued down the hospital hallways. Sam had her elbow resting on top of one of the armrests as she held her head up in her hands. She sighed as various people glanced over at her, wondering what was wrong with "that poor girl". She felt a bit guilty about using the wheelchair since she knew she technically didn't need one. She felt it was a false representation of her health and that she was receiving undeserved sympathy and pity from strangers. Either way, Sam perked up as she noticed they were getting close to a door.

"Ok, I parked the car right out in the front." Spencer stated as he walked over to the hospital door and held it open for Mrs. Benson. Sam had to shield her eyes as the sun shined brightly from the sky as she was wheeled out of the building. Even though it had only been a day or two since she was last outside, it seemed like an eternity.

"So how's it feel to be out of that room?" Carly asked gently as she and Freddie walked alongside the wheelchair while Mrs. Benson rolled it down a ramp towards the parking area.

"Bright..." Sam mumbled, continuing to hold her hand over her eyes as a visor. She glanced up at her best friend through squinted eyes. "And it feels good." She smiled. The group made their way over to Spencer's silver Volkswagen Beetle as he unlocked the doors. He opened the driver side door and pushed the key into the ignition, starting the engine. He then turned to knob on the heater and set it on low so the car would warm up, making Sam bit more comfortable. After getting things set, he poked his head back out.

"You get the passenger's side." Spencer called out to Sam with a smile as he walked around the front of the car and opened up the right door.

"Gee, and I didn't even have to call shot gun." She chuckled as she started to put her feet towards the ground.

"Hold on there.." Spencer gently stated as he walked back over to the wheelchair.

"Huh?" Sam asked.

"No unnecessary exertion needed!" He spoke as he gently put one arm behind Sam's back, and the other under the crook of her knees. "Mrs. Benson, can you pull the chair back?" Spencer asked.

"Sure." The woman replied as both she and Spencer moved at the same time. As he lifted Sam out of the chair bridal style, Mrs. Benson pulled it back and out of the way. Sam wrapped her arms around Spencer's neck for some sort of balance as she looked up at him. As much as she hated looking weak, she was really grateful for him lifting her out of the chair. It alleviated a lot of pain on her part as she didn't have to strain her stomach muscles to switch seats.

"Ooof, what have you been eating?" Spencer joked.

"Well I did have a heavy bowl of _Cheerios_ this morning." She laughed weakly as he smiled.

"Alright, let's get you settled in." He stated as he carried her over to the car and gently set her down into the passenger's seat. As soon as she was in, she shuffled around a bit to get comfortable. "That good?" Spencer asked.

"Yup, thanks." Sam smiled.

"No problem." He smiled back. By now the two other kids had climbed into the back seat. Carly sat behind the driver's side, while Freddie sat behind Sam.

"Alright.." Spencer mumbled as he reached into the car and pulled the seat belt over Sam's shoulder and clicked her in. "Safety first!" He exclaimed. She rolled her eyes in humor at his goofiness. "Is the seat belt ok?" He asked. "Does it hurt?"

Sam looked down at it. "No...It's fine." She yawned.

"Alright." Spencer gave her a small smile. "Watch your feet.." he stated gently as he backed out of the car and shut the door. Sam looked out her window and sighed.

"Hey.." Carly spoke softly from the back as Sam turned around to glance at her friend behind her. "We'll be home in no time."

"Yeah." Sam smiled. "No time." She let off another yawn.

"Yup." Freddie poked his head up from behind her seat. "So just relax and take it easy."

"Mmmkay.." Sam replied tiredly, closing her eyes.

Meanwhile, outside the car, Spencer looked over at Mrs. Benson. "And how about you? Do you have a way to get home?" He asked.

"Oh don't worry about me." She waved him off. "First I have to go return this wheelchair to the hospital before I can get off work. And my car is in the employee area."

"Ok." Spencer replied.

"Oh and one more thing!" Mrs. Benson stated, walking over to the car. Spencer cocked his eyebrow as he watched her tap on Freddie's window.

"Huh?" The boy looked up curiously from inside the vehicle as he saw his mother and pressed the button on the car door to make the window roll down. "What is it mom?"

"I'll be home in an hour, alright sweetie?"

"Yes mom.." Freddie replied bashfully.

"Also, do you have your seat belt on?"

"Right here mom.." He stated in the same tone, pointing towards it.

"Is it clicked in?" She asked.

"Yes mom.." Freddie sighed.

"Because if it's not clicked in.." She started to rant.

"Mom!" Freddie finally cried out.

"Fredward Benson! Do not take that tone with me! Car safety is an important issue!" She exclaimed wide eyed and stunned to see him have an outburst at her.

"I'm sorry!" Freddie cried out pitifully. Carly watched the scene with a small smile and saw that Sam glanced back at her from the front of the car with the same expression. The two girls exchanged a humored look before looking back at the two Bensons.

"Now Freddie, you be good for Spencer!" She stated.

"I will." He sighed, wondering when the torture would end. He watched as his mother smiled back at him.

"Love you..." She cooed, reaching into the car and planting a kiss on his forehead.

"Aw mom, c'mon.." He scrunched his eyes up as she backed away from his door.

"Now you better roll up your window before harmful dust flies in. It can hurt your sensitive eyes." Mrs. Benson explained. Freddie sighed and pressed the up button on the car door, making the window close back up. Afterward he sat back in his seat and moaned. It was dead quiet until he heard a soft chuckling to his left.

"Stop it..." He mumbled to Carly, who was holding a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle laughter. "It's not funny."

"Actually.." Sam looked at him through the passenger side mirror. "....it is." She gave a small chuckle before yawning once more. Even laughter was starting to drain her energy quickly.

"BAH to the both of you!" Freddie exclaimed to the two girls. Just then Spencer opened his door and sat in the drivers seat, shutting the door behind him.

"You guys ok?" He asked as he pulled his seat belt over his shoulder and clicked it in.

"Yup." Carly replied as Freddie nodded. Spencer then glanced over towards Sam.

"And you..?"

"I wanna go home.." Sam replied tiredly.

"Alright kiddo." Spencer stated softly. "We'll go home." He put the car into drive and gave it a bit of gas to get going. Freddie and Carly turned around and waved to Mrs. Benson through the window as the car left the parking area.

Sam shut her eyes as her head bobbed slightly with the movement of the vehicle. It kind of reminded her of the ambulance, but this time she had something to be happy about. Still, as happy as she was, she couldn't get rid of the feeling of overall sickness, and just wished she could lay down and go to sleep.

Both Carly and Freddie understood this and decided to stay quiet until the ride was over.

* * *

**Alright, so Sam's finally out! She still feels like crap though. (As anyone would after surgery!) Let's see how she does at the apartment...  
**


	44. Back At The Apartment

Sam shut her eyes as her head bobbed slightly with the movement of the vehicle. It kind of reminded her of the ambulance, but this time she had something to be happy about. Still, as happy as she was, she couldn't get rid of the feeling of overall sickness, and just wished she could lay down and go to sleep.

Both Carly and Freddie understood this and decided to stay quiet until the ride was over.

_'I'm so tired...'_ Sam thought as she kept her eyes closed. They had just left the hospital parking lot when Sam felt things go silent and black for a split second before she started to hear the hum of the car once more. She wasn't sure what happened exactly, but gave no thought to the insignificant detail as she was too tired to really think. She sat in silence for a minute and wondered how much longer the car ride was going to last. She hoped it wouldn't be too long. With a sigh, she shuffled down in her seat, her eyes still closed shut. _'I guess there is one thing to be happy about though..'_ The girl thought, noticing her nausea had gone away significantly since yesterday. She didn't feel the overwhelming urge to vomit and was quite pleased about this. Unfortunately, even though her nausea disappeared, it seemed to have been replaced with a harsher pain in her abdomen. She wasn't sure if it was because of all the movement of getting out of bed she did at the hospital and or the fact that she changed her own clothes, but either way, it was still depressing.

"Alright, we're here." Spencer smiled as the car pulled into the Bushwell Plaza parking lot.

Sam cracked her eyes opened and realized they were indeed home. _'Wow...that was quick.'_ She thought as she glanced up at the familiar building from the front window. _'How in the world though...?' _She mentally asked, realizing the ride was a little _too_ quick. It lasted only two minutes from her perspective.

"Is she still asleep?" Freddie asked curiously from the back.

"No..." Carly started to say as she noticed her best friend had opened her eyes. "I think she's awake."

_'Oh.....' _Sam thought as she heard her friends talking, realizing she must have faded out at some point during the ride. _'That was probably when things when dark and silent..'_ She mentally noted. _'Man I'm so out of it...'_ She thought to herself oddly.

"Sam?" Spencer asked as he looked over at his passenger.

"Huh?" She looked over at him slowly.

"Just wait there for a second and don't move." He gave her a small smile as he shut the car off and shuffled out of his seat.

"Where would I go....?" Sam mumbled, closing her eyes as she listened to the sounds of Carly and Freddie getting out of the car. After hearing a chorus of car doors shutting, she opened her eyes back up to see that Spencer had opened up her own door. She stayed quiet as he reached over and clicked off her seat belt.

"Alright, up we go.." He stated softly as he picked Sam up in the same fashion as he did back at the hospital and lifted her out of the car. At first Sam closed her eyes and leaned against him, starting to fall back asleep on his shoulder before she realized Carly and Freddie were standing right there. When that small detail finally registered in her brain, her eyes snapped back open.

"Hey.." She mumbled in protest, as her mind cleared up.

"Yes?" Spencer looked down at her.

"I can walk.." She stated hesitantly.

"You don't have to. I don't mind carrying you to.." He started to say before Sam shook her head.

"No..put me down." She stated softly.

"But.." Spencer began to say before he was cut off once more.

"Doctor says I need to walk. I'll walk." Sam replied firmly.

"Yeah that's true...but you _can_ take it easy for the first day." Spencer tried to explain as Sam stubbornly shook her head once more.

"Please?" She looked up at him with pleading eyes. He finally got the message and set her down to the ground gently.

"Urf..." Sam moaned as her sneakers made contact with the pavement. Her stomach hurt, but she didn't care at this point.

"You alright?" Carly asked gently. Sam nodded.

"You sure you can walk?" Freddie asked cautiously. He watched as Sam shot him a glare. "Hey! That was a legitimate question! I wasn't trying to insult you!" He quickly confirmed as he put his hands up in defense. "Honest!"

Sam looked down and sighed. "Yeah, I can walk..." She added, holding her right side and taking a few steps.

"Ok then, let's go." Spencer smiled as the kids began to walk towards the building. All three of them made sure to stay at their sick friend's pace. They were walking slowly, and Sam sighed as she realized this, limping slightly as she held her right side.

_'At least they're not pointing it out..'_ She thought as the gang continued to walk slowly along the sidewalk towards the building.

"Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you!" Carly stated as she looked over to her best friend.

"Huh? Tell me what?" Sam asked, cocking her eyebrow.

"Spencer and I have a surprise waiting for you in our apartment."

"Surprise?" Sam asked curiously as Carly smiled.

"Mhm." She nodded her head.

"What kind of surprise?" Sam asked, obviously intrigued.

"You'll see when we get there." Carly chuckled, humored by her friend's interest.

"Oh man, that could take an hour.." Sam moaned, deciding to point out the slowness of their pace herself before someone else tried to take a crack at it....specifically Freddie.

"Eh, maybe even two." Freddie let off a small laugh.

"Har de har har.." Sam replied sarcastically.

The iCarly gang had finally made their way over to the front of the building when Sam had to stop as she noticed a very distressing detail she didn't realize until now. "Oh crap.." She murmured as she looked up at a bunch of steps leading up to the platform where the main doors of the Bushwell Plaza stood. While walking was something she could force herself to do, going up stairs was a completely different challenge....one she wasn't ready to face just yet. She glanced over at her friends who looked back at her sympathetically, waiting for her to make a choice. With a small sigh of defeat, Sam turned towards Spencer and held her arms out like a toddler who wanted their parent to pick them up. "I need a lift.." She moaned.

"That's alright." Spencer smiled as he picked her back up bridal style. She let out a small grimace as she felt some pain while being lifted up. Once in Spencer's arms, Sam just sighed as he carried her up the steps while Carly and Freddie walked behind them. As they got up to the platform, Spencer paused.

"Want me to set you down?" He asked, making sure he didn't insult her independence again. Sam moaned.

"Just get me to the apartment..." She sighed, finally giving in as she realized that walking herself took too much time.

"Gotcha." Spencer replied as Carly and Freddie walked over to the front doors and held it open for the two.

As everyone filed into the building, Lewbert looked up from his desk.

"HEY! WHAT IS THIS? A PARADE?!" He asked angrily, noticing the kids walk in as Sam was being carried. As Spencer was just about to tell their doorman to shut up, Sam cut in before he could get a word in edgewise.

"Why yes, it is." She responded sweetly. "Where's the confetti?"

"CONFETTI?!" Lewbert asked angrily as he watched the gang walk over to the elevator and press the button.

"Yeah." Sam replied coolly. "Small little snippets of paper thrown around to signify the arrival of someone important. Where is my confetti?" She asked once more as Freddie and Carly stifled a few giggles. The elevator door slid open as Spencer and the kids stepped in.

"I HAVE NO CONFETTI!" Lewbert screamed back.

"Then get some!" Sam yelled back just before the door slid shut. Lewbert just stared at the empty lobby for a moment wondering what happened before letting out a scream. "RARRARRRARRG!" The holler echoed in the elevator shaft.

"Wow Sam.." Freddie remarked from inside the elevator as it started to ascend the building. "Even in this state you can still drive Lewbert crazy."

"It's a talent.." She replied, shrugging her shoulders before letting off a small yawn and closing her eyes for the moment. Carly and Freddie noticed this and realized she was still very tired despite her best efforts to stay humorous.

_'Man, even my daily bickering with the doorman has become tiring..' _Sam thought sadly. _'And my stomach is killing me..' _She added, noting that the pain was getting increasingly worse. She let out a soft sigh as she rested her head against Spencer's shoulder. He looked down and gave her a sympathetic smile. There was a small period of silence before the elevator finally let out a small ding and lifted up it's door to reveal the Shay's loft. Sam opened her eyes and couldn't help but smile as she glanced around the familiar surroundings.

"God I've missed this place.." She stated as she looked around. The room was definitely a sight for sore eyes, especially since the last time she was in it she was being wheeled out on a gurney.

"Welcome home." Spencer smiled. "So do you want me to set you down or.."

"Um, could you take me to the bathroom?" Sam quickly asked, just now realizing her bladder felt like it was going to burst.

"Huh?" He asked, caught off guard by her quick words.

"I have to go." She replied once more as he stared back at her awkwardly. "I don't need you to hold my hand or anything! Just....please carry me over? I don't really want to walk.." She added, looking away flustered.

"Oh." Spencer smiled as he let off a chuckle. "Of course." As he carried her over towards his bathroom, Freddie turned towards Carly.

"Wow, she must really have to go if she's allowing Spencer to carry her."

"Yeah.." Carly agreed, knowing Sam wouldn't let a weak display like that continue unless it was urgent. "She was probably holding it throughout the entire car ride."

"Car ride? She's probably been holding it since the catheter. I know I would have." Freddie replied with a smile.

"Oh yeah.." Carly added, remembering the poor things her friend had to go through back at the hospital. Spencer came back out from his room alone.

"Hey you guys?" He asked as the kids turned towards them.

"Yeah?" Carly asked.

"Will you be alright if I leave for a second?" He stated as he pulled a slip of paper out from his pocket. "I need to get this prescription filled for Sam's Vicodin. When they took the IV out of her arm, it stopped the flow of painkillers. I want to run down to the pharmacy and get this prescription filled as soon as possible before the effects run out on her. Also, I want to get her some food items for her BRAT diet."

"Yeah sure, it's no problem." Carly nodded.

"We can take care of things here." Freddie agreed.

"Alright good." Spencer smiled as he grabbed his keys and walked over to the elevator and pressed the button. "I have my cellphone with me if there's any trouble." He stated. "Oh and one more thing.." Spencer turned back around towards his sister.

"Yeah?" Carly asked.

"Make sure Sam doesn't fall in." He gave a small smile.

"Ha ha!" Sam's voice called out from Spencer's bathroom before the gang heard her close the door.

Spencer smiled sheepishly back at the kids. "Ok, well I'm going to go. I'll be right back."

"Alright, see ya." Carly smiled as Freddie waved. They watched as Spencer stepped into the elevator and the door closed down on him.

"So..." Freddie turned towards Carly. "Is Sam's surprise Frothy?"

"Mhm." Carly smiled. "I left him in my room."

"That's good." Freddie added. "I think Sam will really like seeing him."

"Me too." Carly replied.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Sam had finished up and was now washing her hands in the sink. "Thank goodness for toilets.." She spoke quietly to herself as she finished drying off her hands on a towel. She glanced up at herself in the mirror and didn't realize how pale she was until now. She noticed her eyes had dark rings around them as well. _'Wow, have I really looked this bad all this time?'_ She thought to herself curiously as she let out a yawn. _'Ugh...I'm so tired..'_ She moaned as she set her hands down on the sink counter and leaned against it. _'And my stomach feels like it's ripping apart..'_ She sighed, putting a hand over her right side. _'As glad as I am to be back at Carly's, I still feel as sick as a dog..' _She looked back up at the mirror once more. Just then she heard Carly's voice call out.

"Hey, you alright in there?" Her best friend asked. Sam looked over towards the door and thought for a moment.

"No!" She yelled.

"Huh?" Carly shot Freddie a worried glance as she quickly made her way over to Spencer's room. "What's wrong?" She asked softly as she stood by the bathroom door.

"I fell in!" Sam yelled back. Carly paused for a moment until her friend opened the door and smiled back at her.

"Geeze, don't do that!" Carly exclaimed.

"Sorry." Sam shrugged with an apologetic smile as she stepped out of the bathroom. Carly smiled and rolled her eyes at her as the two girls walked back over to the living room.

"I see you're feeling well enough to crack jokes." Freddie laughed.

"Not really.." Sam replied quietly, her mood starting to change. "I don't feel that good.." She added. Carly looked over at her cautiously.

"Need a garbage can?" She asked her friend. Sam looked up at her oddly.

"Oh no, nothing like that!" She quickly confirmed. "I'm just really _really _tired..."

"Hey well, let's get you over to a bed then alright?" Carly smiled as Freddie nodded.

"Thanks." Sam smiled as she started to walk towards the couch.

"Oh wait a second.." Carly gently stated as she grabbed her friend's arm lightly to stop her from walking.

"Huh?" Sam asked, confused.

"You're going to sleep in my bed." Carly explained.

"What? No, I can't!" Sam quickly replied.

"Why not?" Carly asked.

"I'm not going to kick you out of your bed." She replied. "I may be rude, but I'm not _that_ rude." She then glanced over at Freddie who began to open his mouth. "Stuff it Benson." Sam pointed at him accusingly as if she were psychic. The boy shut his mouth with a click.

"Sam...you're not kicking me out! I want you to sleep there." Carly tried to explain.

"No, I'll just take the couch, like I always do." She stayed firm.

"No you won't!" Carly exclaimed. "You need a proper bed to recover! And you're taking mine!"

"No I'm not!" Sam replied stubbornly.

"Yes you are!" Carly stated as she grabbed her friend by the arm. "Even if I have to drag you there myself." She joked.

"But I don't want..." Sam had to stop talking for a moment as she suddenly felt a bit dizzy. "Oh.." She moaned, putting her hand to her head, feeling her knees become weak.

"Sam?" Carly asked as she noticed her friend's expression change quickly. She watched as Sam wobbled a bit on her feet before stumbling backward once. "Whoa ok!" Carly gently stated as she put her arm up behind her friend's back to keep her upright. Carly walked closer and stood next to the weak girl and took her arm and slung it around her neck to help Sam get some balance back. "Take it easy.."

"Sorry.." She mumbled quietly, using her friend's body for support.

"You alright?" Freddie asked worriedly. Sam nodded her head reluctantly.

"Yeah yeah...I just want to sleep.." She mumbled softly, her joking attitude quickly dissipating back into sickness.

"Alright.." Carly replied gently. "C'mon Freddie, help me walk her over to the elevator." The boy nodded as he stood on the other side of Sam as the two friends helped her walk across the room. The tired girl let out a small sigh as they stopped in front of the elevator. Freddie pressed the button and soon enough it let out a small ding as the door lifted up. Sam sighed sadly once more. She really didn't want to kick Carly out of her own room, but her energy was running dangerously low and she realized she had to give in to her best friend's wishes, lest she pass out.

Carly looked over at Sam as she and Freddie helped her into the elevator. She noticed her best friend was too weak to continue refusing about the bed, and realized how badly she must have felt to have given up that easily. Carly then thought of something which may perk her spirits back up.

"Sam?" Carly asked softly as her friend looked over at her.

"Yeah?" She asked tiredly.

"You didn't forget about your surprise, did you?"

* * *

**Sam's still a bit woozy...Hopefully Frothy can make her happy!**


	45. Resting In Carly's Room

"Sam?" Carly asked softly as her friend looked over at her.

"Yeah?" She asked tiredly.

"You didn't forget about your surprise, did you?"

"Surprise?" Sam perked her head up instantly. "Oh yeah!" She replied with a small smile, her interest giving her renewed strength. Carly and Freddie couldn't help but chuckle.

_'Leave it to Sam to get excited about a surprise while on the verge of passing out.. '_ Freddie thought. The elevator once again let out a small ding as it landed on the second floor of the Shay apartment. As Freddie and Carly helped their friend out into the small hallway, Sam glanced down and noticed the litter box on the floor next to Carly's bedroom door.

"That's a weird plant pot.." She mumbled, closing her eyes as they continued to help her over to the door.

"Uh..." Freddie glanced over at Carly awkwardly. They both realized Sam wasn't thinking straight at this point. But as soon as they stepped into the room, Sam tilted her head up, glancing at the bed tiredly. That was when she saw a gray lump curled up in a ball, sleeping quietly in the middle.

"Frothy?" Sam asked weakly, unsure if she was hallucinating or not at this point. Upon hearing her voice, the cat instantly perked it's head up and looked over at the door. Once he noticed his owner was there, he excitedly got up, arched his back, and stretched out his hind legs. He then hobbled over to the edge of the bed and patiently sat down as he glanced over at Sam. His tail was twitching with excitement.

"Mrow!" He mewed happily.

"Awwww..." Sam cooed as she glanced over at her best friend. "You brought me my Frothy.." She smiled.

"Yup." Carly replied kindly as she and Freddie helped Sam walk over towards the mattress. As Frothy saw Sam walk over, he stood up from his sitting position and started to walk around in circles on the bed as he glanced up at her, waiting for her to pet him. The kids noticed he moved awkwardly with a limp because he only had three legs.

"Aw, you walk just like me..." Sam replied softly with a laugh as she reached out her hand and gently scratched behind his ears. The cat closed his eyes and began to purr loudly.

"Boy, he really does like you." Freddie exclaimed as he watched Sam gush over her pet. It was almost weird to watch her act this gentle and kind towards something.

"That's cause he's my little Frothball." Sam cooed as Frothy looked back up at her lovingly, giving her the feline equivalent of a smile. As Sam continued to pet the animal, Frothy sat back on his hind legs and gently stood up, putting his one front paw on Sam's forearm, showing her he wanted to be picked up. "Oh no...I'm sorry.." She quickly spoke to the cat, gently pushing him back to the bed. "I can't pick you up right now...you're too fat." She added. Freddie and Carly couldn't help but chuckle at how blunt Sam was about her pet's weight to his own face.

"Mroow.." Frothy mewed in protest, reaching his paw up at her once more.

"No no.." Sam stated gently, telling her cat to stay back. "Go lay down." She instructed softly as she pointed over to the left corner of the bed. Frothy glanced over at her oddly as he cocked his head, before turning around and hobbling over to where she pointed. He decided to lie down on one of Carly's pillows.

"Wow!" Freddie remarked. "How in the world did you train him to listen to you like that?!"

"I didn't train him to do that.." Sam yawned. "I just talk and he listens.." She shrugged as if that were normal.

"That's pretty neat..." Freddie added as he walked over towards Frothy. The cat looked up at him and let off a hiss of displeasure. "Whoa!" Freddie quickly backed away from the growling animal.

"Now _that_ I trained him to do." Sam replied with a small smile as she and Carly chuckled.

"Gee thanks." Freddie replied sarcastically. Sam smiled before yawning once more.

"Here, let's get you into bed.." Carly stated as she walked around to the right side of the mattress and gently pulled the top blanket back from the corner. Sam slowly sat down on top of the mattress, holding her side as she felt pain ripple through it.

"Ow.." She moaned slightly.

"Everything ok?" Carly asked as her friend nodded.

"Yeah..I guess.." Sam sighed. "The pain seems to be getting worse though." She looked down at the floor sadly as Freddie walked over to them.

"Well, Spencer did say that the effects of your painkillers were going to start wearing off soon."

"Painkillers?" Sam asked weakly as she looked up at him, not remembering taking any.

"Mhm." The boy nodded. "That was what was being fed through your IV." He stated as he pointed to her left arm.

"Oh..." Sam replied, finally understanding why the pain was starting to ache harder.

"Spencer said he'll be right back from the pharmacy with your pills though, so don't worry." Carly smiled.

"Alright." Sam replied as she glanced down at her feet and noticed her sneakers were still on. She sighed tiredly at this fact.

"I've got it." Carly replied as she crouched down to untie her friend's shoe laces.

"Thank you." Sam stated gratefully.

"No problem." Carly added with a smile as she pulled the sneakers off gently and set them on the floor next to the bed. "Do you want to take off your jacket too?" Carly asked, noticing her friend still had it on.

"Nah, I like the warmth." Sam sighed as she lifted her legs up to the mattress and painfully scooted her body over until she was sitting on the bed with her back to the headboard and her legs sprawled out in front of her. "Man.." She moaned as she shifted herself against the pillow. "I don't think I can sleep.."

"Huh?" Freddie cocked an eyebrow. "But you said you were tired.."

"I am." Sam looked up at him "But I can't get comfortable..." She shuffled a bit, holding her stomach.

"Do you need an extra pillow or.." Carly started to ask as she reached over and pulled the covers back over her friend's legs. Sam just shook her head no in response.

"No, not that kind of comfortable. Your bed feels great." She replied honestly. "It's just my stomach. Kind of hurts to the point of not being able to go to sleep." She sighed.

"Well, why don't you just try to sit and relax." Carly stated softly. "When Spencer gets back he'll give you your painkillers and then you can fall asleep better, alright?" She replied as she walked over and sat down on the end of the bed.

"Ok, sounds good." Sam smiled over at her.

"In the mean time, do you want anything?" Freddie offered as Sam thought for a moment.

"Um, a glass of water? I'm pretty thirsty.."

"Yeah sure." Freddie smiled as he turned around and left the room to get her a drink.

"So..." Sam stated slowly as she looked over at her best friend. "Nice bed you got here." She smiled as patted it with her hands, looking over at how big it was. Frothy practically had a whole twin size mattress to himself in the corner. "My own bed is barely big enough to fit me, and here you have this monster." Sam laughed as she looked over at Carly.

"Yeah, it's a queen size." She smiled before shrugging. "I know, I'm spoiled rotten." She chuckled.

"Nah.." Sam yawned. "Spoiled maybe... but not rotten." She gave her friend a weak smile. "Thanks for letting me sleep here.."

"Anytime." Carly responded kindly. "So, do you want to watch some TV while we wait?"

"Sure." Sam replied as she watched her friend get up and walk over to her desk. She picked up a remote and clicked on the power button. As Carly did this, Sam glanced over at the TV set up in the corner of the room. She forgot how big it was until now. It was the same one Spencer had purchased for Carly a year or so ago when she was supposed to get straight A's on her report card.

"I'm glad Spencer let you keep this TV." Sam stated as she pointed to it and yawned.

"Yeah..." Carly laughed as she walked around the foot of the bed and sat down on the mattress next to her friend's right side. "Me too." She added. Frothy poked his head back up as he realized Carly was sitting next to him. He mewed softly as the brunette girl turned around and gave him a light pet. Meanwhile Freddie came back into the room with a full glass in one hand and a closed bottle of water in his other.

"Hey, I've got you your drink. And I even brought up an extra...." His voice trailed off as he noticed Carly was stroking Frothy. "Oh wonderful, the cat just loooooves you too Carly." He moaned as he walked over to Sam and handed her the glass and set the bottle of water on Carly's nightstand. Sam couldn't help but smile as she pulled the straw up to her lips and took a sip.

"So..." Freddie stated as he walked over to Carly's desk and pulled the chair over to the side of the bed and sat down on it. "I see we're watching TV again?" He asked, noticing the screen was currently displaying the guide channel once more.

"Mhm." Sam nodded as she finished drinking and gently placed the half full glass of water over on her the nightstand next to the bottle. Just then the gang heard a rustling in the hallway as Spencer appeared in the doorway holding a grocery bag.

"Hey guys! I took the elevator up here." He smiled.

"Hey." Carly smiled at her brother.

"Hey Spence." Freddie also greeted him.

"Where's my pills?" Sam cut in. He looked over at her and chuckled.

"Don't worry, I've got them." He replied, pulling out a small white bag with a piece of paper stapled to it.

"Thank goodness.." She mumbled. "I'm dying over here." She stated as she watched him make his way over to her side of the bed.

"Ok.." Spencer started to say as he set the grocery bag down on the floor and pulled out a pill bottle from the small white bag. "...you're going to have to take one of these babies every four hours, or at least until you don't feel anymore pain." He glanced over at her.

"I'm feeling pain." She confirmed softly.

"Alright.." Spencer stated as he put his hand on top of the bottle and began twisting it around in circular motions to open it up. The kids watched as he continued to fiddle around with the small thing. "Hold on I..." He mumbled as he continued to twist it, struggling to open the small container.

"Do you want me to..." Carly started to say as her brother turned away from her.

"No, I got it!" He exclaimed, keeping his back to them. "_Stupid thing_.." He mumbled. The kids continued to watch him for twenty more seconds before Sam decided it was enough.

"Spencer!" She called out as he turned around to look at her, his face completely flustered. "Give me the bottle." She held out her hand. He looked back at the small thing and reluctantly handed it over to her. Sam looked down at it as she held it up with one hand. She gently flicked her thumb up against the lid and popped it off in one soft motion.

"What the?! How did you...?" Spencer was stunned.

"Dude, this thing isn't even child proof!" Sam stated in disbelief at how easily it came off.

"Spencer.." Carly spoke to her brother slowly. "Next time try _lifting_ instead of _twisting_." She made a motion with her hands to show him the correct way to open one of those bottles.

"Oh...heh yeah.." He replied bashfully, scratching the back of his neck.

"So, I gotta take how many of these things now?" Sam asked as she shook the bottle out in her hand, making a handful of pills fall out at once.

"Whoa, calm down there turbo!" Spencer exclaimed as he walked over and picked the pills up. "Just one." He smiled as he placed a single one back into her palm.

"Alright." Sam replied as she handed Spencer the bottle back. She glanced over at him curiously for a second as he slipped the extra pills back into the container. "Think you can close it up correctly?" She asked. "Or do you want me to do it?"

"I can do it." He replied snobbishly to her as a joke.

"Ok, just checking." Sam smiled as she popped the pill into her mouth and reached over for her glass of water. After finishing off her drink, she set it back on the table and wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand.

"Oh yeah!" Spencer exclaimed as he put the medication away and reached into his grocery bag. "I got you some food stuffs!" He exclaimed, remembering she had to eat something along with her medication.

"Food stuffs?" Sam asked.

"Mhmm. Your BRAT diet." He smiled. "So what do you want? Bananas, rice, applesauce, or toast?"

"Uh.." Sam thought for a moment. She wasn't starving as she had just topped off a bowl of Cheerios at the hospital roughly an hour ago, her stomach wasn't protesting the idea of a snack. "Applesauce sounds good.." She shrugged.

"Alright." Spencer smiled as he reached into the bag and pulled out a cup from the package. He opened it up and handed it over to her. "Comes with a nice plastic spoon and everything."

"Thanks." Sam replied gratefully as she took the fruit cup from him and slurped down a spoonful. It tasted and felt good.

"Is it ok?" Spencer asked cautiously.

"Mhm." Sam answered, taking another bite. "Really good."

"Great." He smiled before he looked over at Freddie and Carly. "Do you guys want some? I bought extra of everything." He stated as he held up the weighted grocery bag, remembering the two kids haven't had their breakfast yet.

"Sure, I'll take some applesauce." Carly smiled.

"Same." Freddie added. Spencer reached in and handed a cup to the boy before walking around to the other side of the bed to hand Carly her own.

"Here you go..." He stated as he leaned over to give it to her.

"Thanks! I..." She was cut off as Frothy jumped up from his position on the bed and snarled as he lunged towards Spencer. The cat whipped out his huge paw, catching Spencer's hand once more in a furious swipe.

"AHH!" Spencer jumped back, holding his injured hand close to him. "EVIL!" He exclaimed pointing to it. The cat hissed back at him.

"FROTHY!" Sam yelled out, trying her best to ignore the pain in her stomach. Everyone looked over at her in surprise, including the cat. "No boy." She spoke angrily to him. The cat crouched down on his belly in shame, folding his ears against his head. "Come here." She demanded. Frothy didn't move a muscle. "Come _here_." She stated firmly once more. The gang watched as the cat scraped his belly along the mattress as he reluctantly crawled over to his owner. "Bad boy." Sam stated quietly as she tapped him softly on the nose with her finger. He winced once at the action before looking back at her.

"Mrow." Frothy replied sadly. Sam let out a small sigh. She didn't really want to yell at her cat, but there was no way she was going to tolerate that kind of behavior from him since they were both guests at Spencer's home. "You be nice to Spencer...now lie down." She instructed the regretful animal. Everyone watched in amazement as Frothy listened to her and laid down next to her, resting his head against her knee. Sam looked back up at Spencer. "I'm sorry about that...he's just a bit.." Before she could say another word, Spencer jumped up.

"THAT IS SO COOL!" He exclaimed. Sam cocked her eyebrow at him. "That cat listens to you like he's a dog or something! That's awesome!" Spencer remarked, completely forgetting about his scraped up hand.

"Uh yeah.." Sam replied with a sheepish smile, glad he wasn't mad at her pet. She and Frothy had grown so accustomed to each other, that she hadn't realized how amazing her cat's obedience looked to everyone else.

"You should get a job as an animal trainer!" Spencer replied.

"Sam yelling at poor defenseless creatures for a living?" Freddie asked as he pretended to ponder the thought for a moment. "Yeah, I can _totally_ see that happening." He smiled

"Watch it Fredwad." Sam glared over at him before she let off a small yawn. _'Oh wow, my head is starting to feel a bit light..'_ She thought to herself, scooping up another spoonful of applesauce into her mouth, trying to ignore the odd sensation. Spencer noticed Sam was becoming more tired, so he decided to calm things down a bit.

"Alright, I'm going to go downstairs and put all this food away." He stated as he picked up the bags and made his way over to the door. "Now I don't want you guys keeping Sam up too long, alright? She needs rest." He looked over at Carly and Freddie.

"Sure, no problem." Freddie stated as he swallowed some of his applesauce.

"Yeah." Carly agreed. "We'll finish eating up here with her and then we'll leave." She glanced over at her best friend. "Sound good?"

"Yup." Sam smiled as she took another spoonful of applesauce to her mouth.

* * *

**So....I have my first day of college tomorrow and I'm very depressed. D= But luckily I've written out a HUGE chunk of the next couple of parts in this story during my last few days of freedom. So other than editing a few words and proofreading the chapters a bunch of times, I can still get a couple more up to you guys quickly, despite classes starting on Monday. =) Hope you enjoyed this one!  
**


	46. Medication

The gang had continued to eat their applesauce and chat for a little bit until Spencer came back into the room, holding the apartment phone in one of his hands.

"Aw, do they have to go just yet..?" Sam asked sadly, figuring the reason he was there was to shoo Carly and Freddie out of the room. Although Sam was tired, her painkillers hadn't kicked in just yet, and she still couldn't fall asleep. Plus she enjoyed the company...even Freddie's.

"No." He replied with a soft smile as he held out the phone to her. "It's your mom." Sam stared up at him for a moment before she quickly set her applesauce cup to the side.

"Oh!" She replied, reaching up for the phone. As she pulled it to her ear, Spencer looked back over at the kids.

"Hey, let's let them talk." He stated as he walked towards the door.

"Sure." Carly replied as both she and Freddie stood up and walked out of the room.

* * *

Once they were out in the hallway, Carly turned to look at her brother.

"So what's up with Sam's mom? Is she coming back?" She asked. Her question was quickly answered by her brother's soft expression.

"No...she's still in police custody."

"Oh.." Carly replied.

"So, uh, what's that mean?" Freddie wondered.

"Mean's she has a LOT of stuff to figure out before she gets to go home." Spencer stated awkwardly. "Sam's going to be with us for a while."

"Got it." Freddie replied.

"Oh yeah! Your mom's home too. I talked to her in the hallway." Spencer stated as he remembered this fact. "She said you can stay over here the whole day, as long as you get back to her by seven pm."

"Why seven?" Carly wondered.

"Dunno. She didn't say." Spencer shrugged. The two Shays then glanced over at Freddie who was staring at the floor which seemingly became more interesting then staying in the conversation.

"Well?!" Carly asked as she gave him a light shove.

"Huh? What?" He asked innocently as he looked up at them, pretending he didn't hear them.

"Seven pm. What does it mean?" Carly asked curiously as she watched Freddie roll his eyes in defeat and sigh.

"Whenever my mom comes back from her job, she makes sure to sterilize me so I don't catch any germs from the hospital."

"Sterilize?" Carly cocked an eyebrow as Freddie let off another sigh.

"She fills up our bath tub with this weird goopy stuff and makes me sit in it for an hour. Clothes and everything."

"Wow...that's...um...interesting.." Carly stated softly, trying to keep herself from laughing. She looked over at her brother and saw that he had scrunched up his face to avoid chuckling as well.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up." Freddie replied pathetically.

"Hey, just be thankful Sam didn't hear this." Carly replied, her face still holding a huge grin on it. "She wouldn't be kind enough to _just_ laugh.."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the room, Sam watched as her friends left. She the put the phone up to her ear and spoke out hesitantly. "Hello?"

**_"Sam?"_** Sandra's voice asked from the other end.

"Hi mom." Sam replied with a smile, recognizing her mother's voice.

**_"Hi."_** She responded. **_"The hospital notified me that you left today."_**

"Yup." Sam replied happily.

**_"How was it? I mean, was the car ride alright?"_** Sandra asked cautiously.

"Oh yeah, it was fine." Sam replied. "We didn't crash into anything." She stated with a smile as she heard her mother chuckle on the other end.

**_"Well that's good._**" She stated back.

"Yeah, but seriously, it was no problem. I fell asleep for the majority of it." Sam stated casually.

**_"And how's it at Carly's?"_** Sandra asked.

"It's nice." Sam smiled. "I was just eating some applesauce while chatting with her and Freddie."

**_"I'm glad to hear that."_** Sandra replied.

"Yeah." Sam smiled. "Carly also let me have her room."

**_"Oh? That was nice of her."_**

"Mhm.." Sam agreed as she yawned.

**_"And how are you feeling?"_** Sandra asked, hearing her daughter's sleepy voice.

"Meh...kind of weird. It seems as though I'm transitioning between painkillers." Sam shrugged.

**_"Huh?"_**

"Well, when I left the hospital, they took out the IV, which Freddie said was pumping painkillers into me or something. Anyways, when I got back to Carly's apartment, my stomach started to ache a little worse."

**_"Are you alright?" _**Sandra asked.

"Oh yeah, fine fine." Sam quickly responded. "My stomach was starting to ache pretty badly though, but Spencer got me some pain pills. I took one roughly twenty minutes ago or so. I think it's starting to kick in. The pain feels like it's dulling down." She let out a yawn once more.

**_"Well, make sure to get a lot of rest."_** Sandra replied, hearing Sam yawn over the phone again.

"Mom....you do know this is your daughter you're talking to right? The girl you yell at to get off the couch everyday? Of course I'm going to get some rest, especially when I have an iron-clad excuse." Sam gave a small laugh as her mother chuckled.

_**"You're right, what was I worried about?"**_

"Dunno." Sam laughed once more.

**_"Well I guess I should let you sleep."_** Sandra stated, not wanting to keep Sam up too long.

"No wait.." Sam replied quickly

**_"Yes?"_**

"Any news on the cops and junk?" Sam asked as her mother paused for a moment, making the line go silent. "Mom?"

**_"I'm sorry, but right now, there's just so much I have to do. The cops won't let me out of their custody. They think I'm a flight risk."_**

"Stupid cops.." Sam yawned. "You're not a _flight_ risk. You'd take a car to hop the border, not a plane. Didn't they learn anything?" She added with a smile as her mouth laughed.

_**"I guess they didn't.**"_ She replied. **_"Still, feel better."_**

"I will, don't worry about me mom." Sam stated with a small smile.

**_"When this is all over, I'll definitely make it up to you."_**

"I'll hold you to that." Sam chuckled. "Love you."

**_"Love you too Sammy."_**

"Bye." Sam stated reluctantly.

**_"Bye."_** Her mother replied softly before the call clicked off. Sam sighed as she pulled the phone away from her ear and set it down on the mattress. She paused for a moment before looking back up at the doorway.

"YOU CAN COME BACK IN NOW." She hollered. Within three seconds the gang shuffled into the room. She smiled at them as she held up the phone for Spencer to take back. "Thank you." She spoke softly.

"You're welcome." Spencer smiled back as he took the phone away from her. The kids watched as Sam let out another yawn.

"So, has the Vicodin kicked in yet?" Freddie asked.

"I think it's starting to." Sam shrugged, feeling a bit lightheaded and woozy. "I still feel some pain, but I think I can fall asleep now."

"Alright!" Spencer exclaimed. "We'll get out of your way then." He smiled. As Carly started to walk towards her door, she looked back and noticed her garbage can by the corner of her desk.

"Oh yeah.." She replied turning around and walking over to it. She bent down to pick it up and walked back towards the bed. "Here, just incase you need it." She stated as she set it down on the floor.

"Thanks." Sam smiled. "But I don't think I will. Not feeling that pukey actually."

"Still, why take chances?" Carly replied.

"True." Sam nodded her head.

"Alright kiddo!" Spencer exclaimed. "Get some sleep. Yell if you need anything."

"Roger that." Sam smiled.

"Sleep tight." Freddie replied as he made his way over to the door.

"And don't let the bed bugs bite!" Carly added, finishing his statement

"Bed bugs? Seriously? Why Carly, I thought you kept your sheets more sanitary than that." Sam laughed.

"Oh you know what I meant! G'night." Her best friend chuckled in response.

"Night." Sam replied. "...oh and Freddie?" She called out as the boy turned around.

"Yeah?" He asked curiously.

"Have fun basting in your broth at seven, turkey-boy." She smiled.

"BAH!" Freddie threw up his hands and walked out of the door. "How did she hear that?!" His voice was moaned through the doorway. Carly and Spencer smiled back at Sam before they left the room.

The girl chuckled to herself quietly before everything became silent once more except for the hum of the TV. Sam looked around and noticed the remote on the bed and leaned over to grab it. She switched the channel to the news and clicked the volume down a few notches. With a yawn, she reached over and placed the remote over on her friend's nightstand next to the unopened water bottle Freddie had brought up with him earlier.

"Oh yeah.." Sam spoke to herself quietly as she reached over and grabbed it. "Thanks Fredward." She spoke to herself quietly as she smiled and twisted off the cap and drank it down. After wiping her mouth off, she placed the now empty bottle back on the nightstand and slumped down in the bed, resting her head on one of her friend's comfy pillows. She pulled the covers up to her chin and glanced down at Frothy who was snoozing lazily against her leg. "Night, you little Frothball." Sam chuckled as she closed her eyes. Within two minutes she was dead asleep.

* * *

An hour had passed since the gang left Sam to let her sleep. Spencer had gone into his room to do god knows what, while Carly and Freddie decided to hang out downstairs and watch TV for the day. With Sam absent from the group, they realized things were a lot....calmer. They were currently sitting on the couch, staring at the screen. The room was silent until Freddie shifted a bit in his seat.

"My butt hurts." He stated out of nowhere. Carly glanced over at him and chuckled.

"Nice." She replied. He looked back at her and smiled, giving her a small shrug.

"Well it does."

"Mine too." Carly admitted with a laugh.

"I never knew how much work it took to be a couch potato!" Freddie exclaimed as he stood up and stretched out his arms.

"I know what you mean." Carly replied. "Last time I had to sit this long I...." Her voice trailed off for a moment. "Come to think of it, I've never had to sit this long." She smiled.

"Too bad Sam's not awake to give us some tips." Freddie chuckled.

"Yeah." Carly replied with a laugh before she paused and thought for a moment. "I'm gonna go check up on her, see how's she doing." She stated as she got up from her seat.

"Ok, sounds good." Freddie smiled as he watched Carly walk away.

"I'll be right back." She replied, making her way over to the stairs. As soon as she walked up the steps and disappeared out of sight, Freddie slowly looked back at the couch.

"Hmm..." He stated as he gently sat back down on it. He glanced around the room before he laid down, stretching out his entire body. "Oh wow." He replied, as he flipped around so he was laying on his back and stared up at the ceiling. "This is comfy." He remarked with a smile, putting his hands behind his head. Whenever he came to visit, he never got to fully lay down on Spencer's couch as one of the girls would generally be on it, or Sam would be the one sprawled out lazily. Freddie smiled. "Finally. My turn."

* * *

Carly made her way up to the second floor and walked through the small hallway to her bedroom door. She glanced in and couldn't help but smile as she looked over at her bed. Sam was laying on her back, snoring quietly as she had one arm draped across her stomach, as the other one bent above her head, resting on top of the pillows. Frothy was on the other side of the bed, completely stretched out. The two 'Pucketts' were breathing deeply, as both of their stomachs rose up and down slowly in synchronization. Carly quietly walked across the room and picked up the remote from her nightstand. She turned around and clicked the power button, turning off the TV. As she turned around to set the remote back down, she glanced over at Sam and realized her best friend had a significantly large wet spot forming under her cheek.

"Note to self: Wash that pillowcase." Carly whispered, letting off a quiet chuckle. After seeing that everything was alright, she walked back across her room and left quietly, not wanting to disturb her friend.

* * *

The brunette girl made her way back downstairs and into the living room. "Hey Freddie, Sam's fine. She's still sleeping and..." Carly stopped talking as she came to a halt on the bottom step, noticing that Freddie seemed to have disappeared from the room. She glanced around until the boy poked his head up from behind the couch.

"Hello." He gave her a sheepish smile.

"Well I see you've made yourself comfortable in my absence." Carly laughed as she walked over to him, noticing he was laying down.

"Yup." Freddie replied as he put his hands behind his head once more.

"So, are you going to move and let me back in?" Carly asked with a laugh. Freddie glanced up at her, pretending to think for a moment.

"Nah." He finally replied.

"What?" Carly cocked her eyebrow as she looked down at him.

"I like it here." He smirked. "Pull up a chair."

"I don't think so." Carly laughed as she walked over to the couch. "Move your butt."

"Nope!" Freddie replied with a huge smile.

"Oh I see how it is!" Carly exclaimed as she put her hands on her hips. "With Sam upstairs, you've decided to take her place down here."

"Yep." Freddie shrugged. "I see why Sam likes your couch." He smiled as he patted the soft cushions.

"You know, when Sam starts to get _really_ rude about hogging the couch, I drag her off it." Carly smirked at him with an evil look in her eye.

"That so?" Freddie looked up at her smugly. "Just try it." Those three simple words initiated the attack. Carly ran over towards his feet and grabbed him by the ankles and started to pull. "WHOA!" He cried out as he didn't realize how much strength his tiny friend had. She managed to completely pull him off in one fluid motion, making him fall onto the ground with a hard thump. "OW!" He remarked as his bottom hit the floor. Carly jumped over him and sat back down on the couch in his place.

"Hey, you told me to do it." She shrugged casually as she laid down in the same fashion he did, putting her hands behind her head. Freddie glanced up at her from the floor.

"Oh my achy butt." He moaned as he looked up at her. "So....are you going to let me back on?" He asked pitifully, realizing he had just lost his position as master of the couch. Carly just looked down at him and smirked.

"Pull up a chair."

* * *

Three hours passed as Carly and Freddie finished watching a movie they started a while ago. Carly was currently laying down on her stomach on the couch, as Freddie sat in a chair to her left. It was apparent she did not let him back on. The kids looked up as Spencer came into the room.

"Hey Spence, what's up?" Carly asked. He replied by holding up Sam's bottle of pills and shaking it.

"Time for the second dose."

"Oh." Carly stated as she got up off the couch. "I can go give it to her."

"Alright." Spencer replied as he put his hand on the cap of the bottle. Carly let out a soft moan, waiting for the struggle to begin. "Oh c'mon!" He exclaimed pitifully to her. "I can open the bottle now!" He pulled it off as it made a pop sound. "See?"

"Yeah I see." Carly laughed as she held out her hand. Spencer took out one of the tiny pills and handed it to his sister.

"Take up a cup of water and applesauce with you." He pointed over towards the kitchen.

"Got it." Carly replied as she made her way over to the refrigerator. She pulled out a fruit cup and water bottle for her friend before shutting the fridge door. "I'll be back." She stated to the two guys as she walked across the apartment and continued up the stairs. As she got to the top, she paused for a moment, and yelled back down into the living room. "And don't go anywhere NEAR that couch Freddie!" She called out. And with that she continued to the second floor. Spencer looked over at the boy awkwardly.

"What was _that_ about?"

* * *

Carly made her way down the small hallway and walked over towards her bedroom door. As soon as she rounded the corner and stepped in, she noticed Sam was gone as the bed sheets were tossed to the side. Frothy was still sleeping in his corner, but her best friend was nowhere to be seen.

"Sam?" Carly asked cautiously as she walked across the room. Her question was answered with the sound of a flush. A couple of seconds passed until she saw her bathroom door open as Sam walked back in to the room slowly. She had her head down as she was gazing to the floor lifelessly and didn't notice Carly at first.

"Sam?" Carly asked quietly again. She watched as her friend tiredly lifted her head and glanced over at her through glazed and half opened eyes.

"Carl.." She mumbled softly. "Had to.....bathroom.." She muttered as she slowly walked over to the bed and sat back down.

"You alright?" Carly asked, noticing her friend seemed to be pretty out of it. She wanted to make sure she was ok.

"Was water.." Sam replied softly, pointing over to an empty water bottle on the night stand, giving her friend a fragmented explanation of why she had to go to the bathroom.

"Oh, ok." Carly smiled. Although it started to fade when she noticed her best friend's eyelids go down. "Oh wait!" She exclaimed.

"Meh?" Sam opened her eyes back up tiredly, wondering what was going on.

"Don't go back to sleep just yet!" Carly walked over to the bed and sat down next to her friend.

"Why?" Sam mumbled, shutting her eyes once more. "Tired.." She added, not speaking in full sentences.

"You have to take this." Carly replied softly, holding up the pill.

"What?" Sam asked as she gave a sigh. It was obvious she was half asleep.

"The Vicodin." Carly explained softly, picking up Sam's hand and placing the pill into her palm. She watched as Sam slowly put the painkiller into her mouth. "I've got some water for you to drink it down with." Carly turned around and grabbed the bottle off the bed and opened it up. When she glanced back at Sam, she realized her friend's eyes were closed once more with her mouth hanging slightly open. She had apparently started to fall back asleep sitting upright. The pill was resting dangerously on her tongue. "Whoa Sam!" Carly gently called out, noticing it was very possible for her friend to choke on it.

"Huh...what..?" Sam opened her eyes back up. She then looked down at her tongue cross eyed as she stuck it out of her mouth. "Whass that?" She slurred, referring to the pill laying on top of it.

"C'mon, easy now...before you choke." Carly held the bottle of water up to her friend. "Swallow that pill and drink it down with this." Sam looked at her friend hesitantly before deciding to listen to her. She had no idea what Carly was saying as her mind was fogged up, but she could tell that her friend wanted her to drink the water for whatever reason.

"Kay.." Sam replied quietly, taking the bottle and starting to gulp it down. Carly sat patiently as she watched her best friend chug the entire thing. She noticed that when Sam finished, the girl lowered the empty bottle away from her mouth. Carly reached over to take it from her, but Sam just dropped it at the last moment. It hit the ground with a small thump and the blond girl glanced down at it, squinting her eyes to try and figure out what happened. Her mind was in such a haze that it was too hard to comprehend anything. The only thing she knew was that she wanted to go back to sleep.

"Don't worry, I can get it." Carly softly replied. "Here, just take some of this applesauce." She stated as she handed Sam the small cup. The brunette girl then got up off the bed and reached down to her floor to pick up the plastic bottle. As soon as she stood back up, she looked back over at Sam and sighed. Her friend had apparently laid down on her back against the mattress, with her eyes shut tight. The applesauce was dangling from her half opened hand before it finally rolled out and off the bed, hitting the ground with a thud. Carly once again had to bend down to retrieve the second item her friend lazily dropped to the floor. "Sam.." She stated once more, trying to wake her back up.

"Mmm.." The blond girl muttered, not making an attempt to open her eyes.

"C'mon you need to eat some of this." Carly stated as she pulled back the tab on top of the applesauce and opened it up. She plucked off the plastic spoon from the packaging and stuck it into the tan mush. "Sam?" She asked once more, looking down at her friend.

"Go away.." Sam moaned, starting to feel irritated. She wanted to go to sleep so badly, but something was keeping her up. If she had any clue at all that it was her best friend, she wouldn't have acted so rudely.

"Don't get snippy with me now." Carly laughed, understanding her friend wasn't aware of the situation. "I'll stop bothering you when you finish this. Now sit up."

"No.." Sam moaned, turning her head against her pillow, keeping her eyes shut.

"Oh don't be such a baby." Carly replied jokingly. Even though her best friend was completely out of it, she still held a stubborn attitude. "Now take your applesauce." She instructed the tired girl. Sam just laid against the mattress, silent and unmoving. Even though Carly was very patient, she knew she had to get some food into Sam before she fell asleep, and at this rate she was failing quite miserably. "You know, this applesauce is going to get into you one way or another, so if I have to feed it to you, I will." Carly confirmed. She hoped that Sam would wake up with her tough attitude once more, and refuse to let her friend spoon feed her, making her admit she was too weak to feed herself.

"Nreh..." Sam moaned in response, not making an attempt to debate. Carly sighed. The one time she wanted her friend to fight back, and she didn't. Carly realized what she had to do as she climbed onto the bed and crawled over to her friend's side and sat next to her. She looked down at the applesauce in her hand and stuck the spoon into it.

"I take it you're not going to sit up either?" Carly asked as she got a spoonful ready.

"No.." Sam mumbled in response once more as her best friend sighed.

"Ok well....just don't choke on this.." Carly stated slowly as she reached over and gently placed the spoon into her best friend's mouth. She watched as Sam slurped the applesauce off the plastic utensil and chewed on it a bit before swallowing, all the time keeping her eyes closed. It was odd feeding someone who was laying down, but Carly realized her friend was willing to comply, despite having absolutely no clue what was going on.

_'Alright, I can do this then..'_ Carly thought to herself softly. Although Sam was being difficult, feeding her wasn't going to be too big of a problem if she continued to cooperate. Carly looked down at the fruit cup and scooped out some more and reached back over and placed the spoon into Sam's mouth once again. Just as before, the blond girl slurped the food and swallowed it down, keeping her eyes shut. _'Weird.'_ Carly thought as she continued to spoon feed her friend. _'It's as if she's eating and sleeping at the same time..' _She mentally noted as she returned the spoon back into the cup to get more applesauce._ 'Then again....with Sam, that's quite possible.'

* * *

_Five minutes had passed when Carly came back downstairs, carrying an empty water bottle and fruit cup with her. She noticed that Freddie had obediently remained in his chair while Spencer sat on the couch.

"Hey, I was about to go check up on you guys." Spencer stated as he turned around. "What took so long?"

"Oh, Sam was just a bit.." Carly paused to think for a moment, wondering what word to use to describe it accurately. "..spacey." She finished.

"Spacey?" Freddie asked as she nodded.

"Yeah, I think she was half asleep the entire time. Either way, she was pretty out of it."

"Oh." Spencer replied. "Did you get her to take her medication?"

"Yup." Carly smiled proudly. "And I even got her to eat some applesauce too."

"That's good." Freddie smiled.

"Yeah, I'll say!" Carly exclaimed as she set the empty containers on the counter. The guys had no idea how hard of a task it was either.

* * *

The hours continued to pass until it started to get dark out. By now Freddie had left Carly's apartment sometime ago to go home and get sanitized. It was starting to get even later out as Carly and Spencer agreed on taking turns to give Sam her doses of medication throughout the night. Luckily for them, each and every time the sick girl had to take a pill, she also had to get up to go to the bathroom. The timing was perfect as they never had to wake her up themselves. Unfortunately, she was just as hazy and non compliant as she had been with Carly before whenever they had to give her the Vicodin. The two Shays had to force her to take the pill, and each time it was difficult as Sam never seemed to be fully awake.

And although the two siblings didn't realize it at those particular moments, in the end it might have been for the best that Sam continued to stay out of it during those times, because the sick girl was finally starting to wake up in Carly's room. Unfortunately this time she was alone and the side effects of the painkiller were going to hit her hard.

* * *

**Very long chapter! Please forgive me if you notice any grammatical errors, as it's 12:40 AM over here, and I had just finished reading this chapter for about the eighth time. Each time I've found something wrong with it to fix, but I'm just too tired to read it over again. (Especially since it's really long.) I have to go to sleep, so I'll check it again in the morning, but if you read it before then, I apologize in advance for any mistakes you may come across!**

**Also, I wanted to mention that I did add in that little Creddie scene with Carly and Freddie for all my Creddie fans out there! I figured it was something cute that I could see the characters really doing with each other in the show that wouldn't detract too much from the main story. I tried my best to keep them in character though! **

**(And on a side note--Don't freak out Seddie fans! Just like I told the Creddies during all of your moments, I make sure all my shipping scenes can be seen as just friendship ones.)**

**So yeah, back to the story! Looks like Sam's going to have a bit of trouble ahead..  
**


	47. Messy Mistake

Although the two siblings didn't realize it at those particular moments, in the end it might have been for the best that Sam continued to stay out of it during those times, because the sick girl was finally starting to wake up in Carly's room. Unfortunately this time she was alone and the side effects of the painkiller were going to hit her hard.

* * *

"Unh...." Sam moaned as she cracked her eyes opened. At first she wasn't aware of her surroundings, but a window at the side of the room gave off a very small source of light. It was obvious that it was either dusk or dawn as she could only make out the silhouette of Seattle's skyline through the window.

_'Where am I...? _Sam thought tiredly to herself for a moment before she remembered. _'Oh yeah, that's right. I'm at Carly's...' _She added mentally as she patted around the huge bed. She tried to sit up, but a small lightheaded feeling made her give up the attempt quickly.

"Oh....." She moaned, shutting her eyes once more. When she reopened them, she looked around the room and noticed that it was too dark to really see anything yet. Suddenly an odd sensation pulled at her limbs, making the room feel as if it were starting to move. _'Crap..'_ Sam thought as she put a hand over her eyes, trying to make the dizzy feeling subside. Unfortunately it didn't work as she felt her body give a quick involuntary jolt as if she just tripped. Even though Sam knew she was laying down in the middle of the bed and away from the edges, she felt as if she was going to fall off. She clenched her fists down on the blankets to try and get some sort of balance, which was a pretty hard thing to accomplish since she wasn't actually falling.

"Mrow..." Frothy let off a quiet meow in the darkness, sensing his owner's distress. Sam shut her eyes tight as she felt his fur brush up against her arm. She knew he was worried about her, but any little movement was making her nauseous.

"Go back to sleep.." She whispered to the cat. After waiting a few more seconds, she realized he must have listened to her as he stopped moving around the bed. Sam let off a tired sigh. Right now she didn't want to deal with him because she was feeling pretty messed up._ 'I've got to calm down..'_ Sam thought to herself, as the room continued to move around. She knew that in reality it wasn't but her body wasn't allowing logical or rational feelings right now. The movements were starting to make her stomach churn as her heart began to beat faster from instinctual panic.

"Ok...this is just like the hospital.." Sam spoke quietly to herself, remembering that whenever she woke up there, she had experienced the same feeling, and knew what was eventually going to happen. "Carly put a garbage can over here...somewhere." Sam stated cautiously as she peered over the side of the bed. Again, she realized it was too dark to see anything, so she squinted her eyes. Thankfully, she could just barely make out the shape of it and bent down to pick it up. By now the poor girl could feel her stomach muscles tightening up, so she knew she had to act fast.

"C'mon.." Sam moaned as she bent over the edge of the bed, trying not to fall off, and reached for the can. _'Thank goodness...' _She thought as she felt the rim of the receptacle and started to pick it up. As she brought it up to the bed with her, she temporarily forgot about her dizziness and make a quick motion to sit upright.

"Urp.." Sam let off a small yelp of discomfort as her head swam in different directions, making the poor girl disoriented enough to the point of accidentally letting the garbage can slip through her fingers and fall back to the floor. It hit the ground with a hollow clank and fell onto it's side.

"NO!" Sam cried out pitifully as she could hear it roll away slightly. She made one last drastic attempt to reach over and find it in the dark, but as her hand swept through empty air, she knew she wasn't able to hold back her nausea any more. All within a split second, Sam realized it was too late for her to make a dash for the bathroom, and as a futile effort to try and stop the inevitable, she brought one of her hands over her mouth and felt her muscles spasm as she had to hunch over and release the contents of her stomach. During this, she noticed that her hand was in no way a substitute for the garbage can and unfortunately did nothing to hold back the sickness from falling past the edge of the bed and onto the floor.

Sam winced as she continued to throw up, feeling even guiltier and guiltier as she couldn't stop herself. She finally stopped gagging and the room became dead silent once more. Sam gently closed her hand and realized it was covered in vomit. "No..." She moaned quietly to herself, realizing what she had finished doing and instantly regretting it. She had just gotten sick all over her friend's floor, and as if to make matters worse, the lights flicked on, illuminating the huge mess.

"Sam! Are you alright?! I heard a bang and I..." Carly stopped in mid sentence, standing by the door as she stared at her friend wide eyed. The sight was not pretty. Sam was leaning over the side of the bed, holding up her dripping hand pitifully, looking up at her with a face that resembled a deer caught in headlights. Carly noticed the amount of vomit dripping from her chin and hand as it trailed down to the floor. "OH MY GOD! SAM!" She cried out worriedly. She started to run over towards her friend as Spencer appeared in the doorway behind her, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Hey, you guys ok? I..." As soon as he removed his fists from his eyes, he noticed the mess. "Whoa!" He replied. Before he could say another word though, Sam finally shook off her temporary paralysis.

"I, it was...I didn't mean...." She stated shakily, not being able to form a proper sentence as she was feeling awful, both mentally and physically.

"Hold on!" Carly replied as she made a dash towards her bathroom. Sam paused for a moment, feeling ashamed.

_'She probably hates me...'_ Sam sighed sadly as she watched Carly come back out with a towel, most likely to clean up the mess she had just caused. She still couldn't tell if her best friend was mad at her or not for getting sick in her room, but knew she had to apologize either way.

"Carly! I'm so so sorry! I didn't mean to.." She repeated as she watched the girl walk back towards her. What surprised her though was that her friend completely ignored the vomit on the floor, and sat down next to her on the bed instead.

"Shhh...." Carly replied gently as she took Sam's hand and wrapped the towel around it. Sam just sat there stunned and shocked as her friend started to wipe it off.

"But I.." Sam tried to talk once more but Carly hushed her back up.

"It's ok." She responded softly, flipping the towel over to a clean side and gently wiping off her friend's chin. Sam felt like she was a five year old who had chocolate ice cream smeared all over her face, getting cleaned up by her mother. She remained quiet until Carly finished and started folding the dirty towel back up. Sam looked over at her cautiously and realized she deserved an explanation.

"The garbage can, I c-couldn't r-reach it and.." She tried to apologize once more but Carly cut her off.

"Are you ok?!" She asked worriedly, ignoring her friend's apology as she was more concerned about her health.

"Huh?" Sam looked up at her.

"Are you ok?" Carly replied gently once more.

"Yeah, I guess I'm ok.." Sam looked down, feeling guilty as she saw the mess. "But your floor.." She added weakly. By now Spencer had made his way over to the two girls and stood next to them quietly.

"Sam, I don't care about that! It was an accident..." Carly stated softly. "Or at least I hope it was.." She gave a small smile to try and lighten the mood.

"Oh, it was definitely an accident!" Sam confirmed quickly. "Still, I'm sorry.."

"It's alright, don't worry about it." Carly smiled.

"Hey.." Spencer spoke up. "Why don't you girls go downstairs and relax while I clean this up?"

"But.." Sam started to protest weakly, not wanting to put him through that. "I can clean it..." She began to say as Spencer held his hand up.

"No no no." He replied with a soft smile. "I'll do it! Now you get your butts downstairs."

* * *

"So what happened?" Carly asked softly as Sam held onto her friend's arm for balance as the two stood in the elevator. Frothy had followed them out of the room and into the elevator, sitting by their feet.

"I kind of woke up really dizzy and got sick...again.." She muttered weakly, still feeling a bit wobbly on her legs.

"Oh...but I thought you were feeling better?"

"Me too." Sam sighed. "Guess not."

"I wonder what made you sick again? I mean, you didn't throw up the last time you woke up..." Carly remarked thoughtfully.

"Maybe it was the applesauce." Sam replied softly. "My mouth tastes a bit like rotten apples.."

"Oh.....ew.." Carly replied with a grimace. "Think we may have rushed it?" She asked, referring to the non-liquid food.

"I dunno..." Sam replied. "I didn't feel sick when I was eating it but....I dunno.." She repeated sadly once more with a sigh. Carly looked over at her sympathetically.

"So.....what was that about the garbage can?" The brunette girl asked, remembering her friend was trying to tell her something about not being able to reach it. "Did I put it too low on the floor for you?" She wondered, feeling bad for Sam if that was the case.

"No, it was fine. It was my fault really." Sam paused for a moment, feeling guilty. "I mean, I had it in my hands but I panicked and accidentally dropped it. And then I couldn't find it again....stupid huh?" Sam offered a weak smile.

"That's alright." Carly smiled softly. "At least you tried." She attempted to make her feel better.

"Yeah.." Sam replied, holding up her own hand and looking at it. "I even tried to puke into my hands as a last resort, but it didn't work. The puke to palm ratio just didn't match up for some odd reason!" She stated in fake wonderment.

"Imagine that!" Carly responded with the same tone, going along with her friend's joke.

"I know, right?" Sam exclaimed. "And it seemed like such a fool proof plan at the time." She shook her head disapprovingly at herself. The two girls chuckled as the elevator let out a small ding before the door slid open. "Here, why don't you lay down..." Carly stated as she helped Sam walk across the living room. Frothy hobbled alongside them and jumped up to the chair where Freddie was sitting in hours before. He watched the two girls curiously as they walked over to the couch.

"Man.." Sam mumbled as Carly helped her sit down and lay back against the pillow. She realized that although she barely felt anymore pain in her abdomen, it had been replaced with extreme nausea and an overall feeling of uneasiness. Sam's body just felt so weird and unnatural to her, and she didn't like this feeling at all. She moaned as she also noticed her head felt light and heavy at the same time. Carly stood up and looked down at her friend worriedly. Sam glanced up from the couch and noticed her friend's troubled expression. She then offered a small smile to help ease Carly's worry. "I feel like a little old woman." She spoke softly as her friend chuckled.

"Aw, but you're _my_ little old woman." Carly cooed.

"Shutup Shay." Sam replied jestfully, trying to keep her focus on her best friend and off the dizzy sensations.

"I'm just kidding." Carly shrugged as she smiled. "I mean, you've got _a few_ good years left in you."

"I'd throw a pillow at you if I wasn't so tired." Sam threatened playfully. Carly couldn't help but laugh. Even though her friend's strength was gone, her attitude was definitely still there.

"So, do you want anything?"

"Uh.." Sam thought for a moment. "I think I'll have some applesauce."

"Huh?" Carly cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Nah, just kidding." Sam smiled weakly. "I guess I could chance a glass of water?"

"Alright." Carly smiled sympathetically as she walked into the kitchen to grab her friend a drink. Sam sighed as she shut her eyes and leaned back into the couch cushions, trying to clear her head. She couldn't believe how nice Carly was treating her, especially since she just gave her rug an extremely bad makeover. Of course, she always knew her best friend was caring, but it was this moment that really opened up her eyes about how much Carly was willing to do for her.

"Here's your water." The brunette girl smiled as she walked back over. "I even put in a bendy straw for you." She stated as she handed her friend the cup.

"Thanks." Sam replied, grateful for the straw as it helped her avoid sitting up to drink. Small movements like that were making her pretty dizzy and she wanted to stay lying down.

"You're welcome." Carly smiled as she sat down on the other end of the couch by her friend's feet. Sam glanced over at her, continuing to sip the straw. She really wanted to make of all this up to her best friend, but knew she couldn't while she was still sick. With one last gulp, Sam gently reached over and set the glass on the table.

"Carls?"

"Yeah?" Carly asked curiously as Sam looked over at her.

"Just so you know.....you've uh...got a free pass to puke in my room if you ever need to." She gave a small smile.

"Oh, really now?" Carly let out a hearty laugh. "I'll definitely have to remember _that_ one." She smiled.

"Least I could do." Sam shrugged casually. The two girls chuckled as Spencer came walking down the stairs.

"Don't worry!" He exclaimed, holding his hands out dramatically as he stopped at the bottom step. "The situation has been taken care of thanks to my....SHAM-POW!" He yelled out, holding up his rag.

* * *

**I thought that was a funny line to end the chapter with. =) SHAM-POW!  
**

** So it looks like Sam's nausea came back in full swing! I always figured that a true test of friendship would require someone to not get mad at their friend if that person vomited on their floor by mistake. (I know I would be quite disgusted if someone did that in my room....even if they were a family member! Lol!) I think Carly is the sort of person who would be kind enough to overlook a detail like that as long as she knew her friend was ok in the end.**


	48. Aftermath

"Don't worry!" Spencer exclaimed, holding his hands out dramatically as he stopped at the bottom step. "The situation has been taken care of thanks to my....SHAM-POW!" He yelled out, holding up his rag.

"Wow, I guess that was a good investment." Carly laughed.

"Yup!" Spencer replied proudly. "After I cleaned up the bulk, this thing soaked up the rest like a sponge! No one could ever tell anyone got sick in there." Spencer smiled towards Sam, as she returned a small weak one.

"Thanks.." She replied, truly indebted to him, to the both of them.

"You're welcome." Spencer smiled. "Now I'm going to go back upstairs and grab all the towels and stuff and use the elevator to hop on down to the laundry room." He explained as he walked into his room. Two seconds later he came back out holding a clothes basket and made his way over to the stairs. "You can go back up now if you'd like." He stated with one last smile before he ascended the steps and out of sight.

Sam thought hesitantly about his words. "Carly?"

"Yeah?" She looked over at her.

"Is it ok if I just stay on the couch? I don't really want to move anymore." Sam replied quietly, knowing that what she was saying wasn't the complete truth. While she was indeed tired, the main reason she didn't want to go back to Carly's room was because of her fear of possibly getting sick in there again and messing up a second time. She knew if she told Carly that, her friend would be polite and tell her to go back up anyway.

"Sure, that's fine." Carly smiled, accepting her friend's explanation, not aware of there being another reason for her hesitation. "Do you need anything else?"

"Nah.." Sam yawned.

"Ok then." Carly replied as she stood up from the couch. Sam watched curiously as her friend picked up a blanket that seemed to have been tossed onto the floor and brought it back over to the couch and draped it across her. Sam stayed quiet as she finally noticed something about Carly as she sat back down on the other end of the couch. She was dressed up in her pajamas. Sam thought for a moment and realized that Spencer had been wearing his pajamas too.

"What time is it?" Sam croaked out quietly, pulling the blanket over her shoulders.

"Huh?" Carly asked, not hearing her at first.

"Time?" Sam asked weakly once more. "I have no clue if it's night or morning or..."

"Oh.." Carly chuckled. "It's around six in the morning."

"Really?" Sam was shocked to hear this. She remembered coming home from the hospital early in the morning_ yesterday _and hanging out a little bit with Carly and Freddie before they left the room. After that, she couldn't remember much else. The only thing she vaguely recalled was waking up a few times to use the restroom but other than that, everything was an absolute blank. "I slept through all those hours?" She asked cautiously as her friend nodded.

"Yeah, you were pretty out of it." Carly gave a small smile.

"You're right..." Sam stated as she thought for a moment until her eyes widened in realization. "Wait, so if I slept the whole day, doesn't that make today Monday?"

"Yup." Carly replied.

"What about school?" Sam asked cautiously.

"Don't you remember? There's no school today because of a teacher conference. You ran out of the building on Friday singing "_Three day weekend for me, not the teachers, hee hee!" _Carly looked over at her friend with a smirk.

"Oh yeah...that's right.." Sam replied slowly. "I think just about every teacher glared at me that day." She gave an awkward smile towards Carly. "I guess karma came around full circle on _that_ one." She looked down, placing a hand on her surgery wound.

"Well think about it this way, you get to sleep for a whole week....no school." Carly added, trying to cheer her up. Sam looked up and smiled at her.

"Very true." She let out a yawn. "I mean, I've already got a good head start on the sleep junk..."

"Yeah, I'll say.." Carly smiled.

"And it was a good sleep too." Sam replied, letting off a small laugh.

"What's so funny?" Carly cocked her eyebrow curiously.

"Eh nothing really, it's just this funny dream I had...before I got sick." Sam smiled.

"Oh? Like what?" Carly asked, intrigued.

"When I was asleep I actually dreamt that you and Spencer spoon fed me applesauce." Sam let off a chuckle. "How crazy is that?" She smiled for a second until Carly broke out in laughter. "Huh?"

"Oh Sam...that wasn't a dream." Carly replied in between a few giggles.

"What?"

"That actually happened. Spencer and I did spoon feed you."

"No you didn't.." Sam replied awkwardly. "There's no way..."

"No it's true." Carly cut her off. "You were half asleep when we had to give you your Vicodin."

"Really?!" Sam asked, surprised to hear this.

"Mhm." Carly confirmed as her friend looked down in thought for a moment.

"Well, I guess that explains the amount of puke. I knew there was no way all of that came from one cup." Sam smiled at her friend sheepishly.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Carly replied. "Maybe if we didn't force you to.."

"No no, it's ok." Sam quickly replied. "I remembered the applesauce being very yummy in my dream." She gave a small smile.

"That's good." Carly laughed.

"Though I still can't believe I slept for that long...and apparently ate some food during it too." Sam murmured, wondering how she couldn't remember that.

"Well, you really needed the rest."

"I guess..." Sam shrugged. "But I'm still so dang tired.."

"Then why don't you go back to sleep?" Carly offered softly.

"I'd feel like such a bum if I did that.." Sam moaned.

"What? Why would you think that?" Carly cocked her eyebrow.

"I take your bed, go to sleep for hours, wake up, puke on your floor, and then go back to sleep on your couch. Not exactly the actions of a classy and respectable house guest." Sam replied.

"But you're not a classy and respectable house guest...you're Sam Puckett!" Carly chuckled.

"Oh gee thanks Shay!" Sam smiled, glad to be having a nice chat with her friend. Focusing on Carly was helping her keep her mind off of all the funky feelings her body was currently going through. Although the sick girl couldn't help but notice that the weird sensations were getting worse.

"You know I'm kidding." Carly laughed. "But still, stop being such a downer about yourself! We all understand that you're sick. You don't need to feel guilty about recovering."

"I know but--" Sam started to protest before Carly cut her off.

"Always with the buts!" The brunette girl threw up her hands for dramatic effect. "It's never, _you're right Carly_! Or _I should totally listen to you Carly_! Nope! Just "but" this and "but" that!" Carly finished her rant and smiled as she looked over at her friend who was too stunned for words. The two stared at each other for a moment before Sam cracked a small smile.

"But.." She trailed off.

"But nothing!" Carly pointed at her with a laugh.

"Fine.." Sam took a deep breath, getting ready to recite her friend's words. "You're right Carly. I should totally listen to you Carly." She then placed her hands together and pretended to give her a sensei's bow, as best as she could from a laying down position.

"And now, you are learning." Carly nodded her head in acceptance. The two girls looked at each other and laughed. Their laughter was broken off when Sam glanced down at her stomach oddly.

"Weird.." She moaned, putting her hand to her side.

"Huh? Everything ok?" Carly asked.

"Yeah yeah.." Sam replied quickly. "I just didn't realize how much the pain has been dulled down since I woke up. Usually I feel a bit of discomfort when laughing that hard but I didn't just now."

"That's from the Vicodin." Carly stated softly as she watched her friend cover up a yawn. "You still have a few hours left before you have to take another dose, so you can lay back and rest for a bit.." She explained as she watched her friend finish up the yawn. Sam looked back at her with an expression on her face that usually meant the start of a debate. As she opened her mouth, Carly shot her a look, basically telling her that she better rethink the next words that came out of her mouth. The blond girl instantly closed her mouth with a click and thought for a moment.

It was true that she was tired, but she also noticed that the longer she stayed awake, the more light headed and spacey she felt. As she looked back up at Carly, she realized her best friend's face was getting all hazy as her vision began to fog up. She also felt a bit more nausea rise up in her stomach, but was able to hold it off from amounting to anything worse. Sam figured all of this was from the medication since despite all of the weirdness, she felt no pain. Still, she realized how much she didn't like these feelings either as the haze was starting to cloud her mind, making her eye lids feel extremely heavy.

"Hey...you alright?" Carly asked softly as she watched her friend's eyes glaze over. She quickly deduced that Sam must have been on a small adrenaline rush after puking in her room, and could tell that her friend's temporary strength was starting to drain out now as the medication took hold of her mind.

"Mmm...dunno.." Sam replied. "I mean, the pain is gone but if I stop to focus on something.....everything gets weird and feels...loopy.." She sighed as she shut her eyes.

"It's probably just your painkillers. Why don't you sleep it off?" Carly offered, seeing that Sam was beginning to fall out of it once more.

"Sleep..?" Sam asked quietly. She pondered the suggestion for a moment as she realized just how much she didn't like the awful sensations her body was starting to go through. The sick girl finally gave in to her friend's suggestion. "Fine.." She mumbled, slumping down in her position on the couch so her head was laying on the pillow instead of her back. She gently relaxed her legs on top of Carly's lap.

"Good." Carly replied, giving her friend a pat on the leg, satisfied by her compliance.

* * *

Twenty minutes had passed when Spencer came back upstairs from the laundry room, holding a basket of cleaned towels. Carly perked her head up from her position on the couch as he stepped out of the elevator.

"How'd you get those done so fast?" She asked, pointing to the basket.

"Oh, when I put my Sham-POW in the dryer, it soaked up everything and dried all the towels out! I didn't even have to keep the machine on for three minutes." He smiled proudly.

"Nice.." Carly laughed as she watched her brother set the basket down on top of the counter near their computer. "But do you have to keep yelling out pow?"

Spencer looked at his sister with a wild stare as if she just grew another head. "Of course! How could you even question that?! It's mandatory when you own a sham-POW!" He cried out once more.

"Keep it down!" Carly berated her brother. "Sam's asleep!"

"Oh gee, sorry.." Spencer replied, feeling guilty as he looked over at the sick girl on the couch. "Sham-pow..." He whispered sadly as he tilted his head down in shame.

"It's alright." Carly replied with a soft laugh.

"So how's she doing?" Spencer asked quietly.

"She's ok. We talked for a bit before I began to notice that she was starting to drift in and out of it again." Carly explained.

"Drift?"

"Yeah. I think it was from the Vicodin. The first few times she took it she went straight to sleep after, so I think this was the first time she _really_ started to feel the medication. She told me the pain was gone, but she was beginning to look a bit foggy so I told her to go back to sleep."

"Oh ok." Spencer replied, wondering if the Vicodin was supposed to work that way. "Should I carry her back up to your room or..?"

"Nah, she told me she didn't want to move around." Carly explained. "Plus it might wake her up."

"True." Spencer replied as he looked down at a watch wrapped around his right wrist. Carly cocked her eyebrow at this small action.

"Since when do you wear a watch?" She asked curiously.

"Since I've been put in charge of taking care of a patient who needs a dose of medication every four hours." He gave a small smile.

"Oh." Carly chuckled. "Good idea."

"Thank you." Spencer smiled proudly as he glanced back down at his watch once more. "One hour and twenty three minutes until the next one.." He stated quietly.

* * *

**I made Sam think the whole situation where Carly fed her applesauce was a dream because I've had weird stuff like that happen to me. One time my sister came in to my room while I was sleeping to give me an old coin she found and when she woke me up and put it in my hand I was half asleep. After she left, I started to wake up, and thought the whole thing was a dream. Then I looked down at my hand and saw the coin in it, so I started freaking out haha. So....just in case anyone cares, that's where I got the inspiration for Sam to think it was a dream. :P**

**Oh, and another thing I wanted to point out! Up until this part of the story, I had no clue what day I wanted this chapter to be on, but I realized that throughout the entire story, I never had the kids mention anything about going to school, so I figured it had to be over the weekend. So, in chapter one, it was obvious that the kids didn't have school that day as they decided to watch movies and stuff, so I figured that had to be a Saturday. Fast forward to Sam going into surgery, and sleeping over at the hospital. That would have made it a Sunday when she left the hospital and went back to Carly's apartment. Fast forward another day, making it Monday. I hope you guys understand as I haven't mentioned the days at all until now. I was still trying to figure them out, but finally settled on it being a Monday at this current time in the story. :P  
**


	49. Decision

Time had passed until there were just five minutes left until Sam had to take her next dose of Vicodin. Carly sat patiently with her friend as she slept on the couch. The brunette girl was watching the early morning news when she felt Sam start to move her legs around on her lap.

"Sam?" Carly asked quietly as her friend slowly opened her eyes. Sam looked around for a moment in a daze.

"Mmm.....have to go..bathroom..." She moaned, slowly sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Need help?" Carly asked as she watched her friend move her legs off of her and put her feet to the floor. Sam closed her eyes and shook her head softly.

"No.." She answered, keeping the conversation short.

"Alright." Carly replied gently as she watched her friend get up off the couch and walk lazily towards Spencer's bathroom. By now she was used to Sam waking up in a zombie-like state ever since they got home from the hospital and other than the small mishap in her room, she knew her friend was half asleep every time and in no mood to talk. Carly respected this. She also understood that all Sam wanted to do when she woke up was use the bathroom, take a pill, and go back to bed....that is if she wasn't puking. Carly sat patiently on the couch, waiting for her friend to come back.

* * *

Meanwhile, as the blond girl hobbled into the small hallway that led to Spencer's bathroom, she met up with him as he was on his way over to the living room to get her next dose of Vicodin ready.

"Hey Sam." He smiled.

"Hi...going to use bathroom.." She mumbled once again, her eyes half closed as she yawned.

"Right on time I see." He smiled as he stepped to the side to let her pass by. Spencer was thankful that the girl had been conveniently waking up to use the restroom at practically the exact times she needed to take her medicine because he would have felt rude waking her up himself. He couldn't help but smile as he was happy that, for once, Sam made something easy. With a chuckle he continued on his way to the living room.

* * *

"Hey Carly." Spencer smiled as he walked in. Carly turned her head around as she glanced behind the couch.

"Oh, hey Spencer. Time for the next pill?" She asked.

"Mhm." He nodded as he walked over to the counter.

"I figured..." Carly let off a small laugh. "..since Sam woke up and all." She chuckled, having noticed her friend's synchronization with the timing as well.

"Yeah, lucky for us, huh?" He looked over at his little sister with a smile as he retrieved the pill bottle out of the bag.

* * *

During this, Sam had finished up in the bathroom and was once again washing her hands in the sink. She glanced up at the mirror and looked at her face, letting off a small sigh as she noticed how pale her skin was. And not only did she look like crap, but she felt ten times worse.

"My head feels so messed up..." She moaned, closing her eyes._ 'What is doing this to me..?'_ She thought tiredly, trying to think of a rational explanation for her behavior. She could tell she was acting like an unemotional robot, especially when speaking to Carly and Spencer just now, but there was something clouding up her mind that seemed to sap her of her personality. It was as if she barely had any emotions, and she felt bad when talking to her best friend because she knew Carly was trying to help her out. Sam hoped her friend wasn't insulted when all she could say in response during the conversation were one or two fragmented words that made it seem as though she didn't care, even though she greatly appreciated her friend's kindness. Sam sighed tiredly. She hated this feeling since it was basically out of her control. And the fact that she was lightheaded and incredibly nauseous on top of it all made her even more miserable. _'At least my stomach doesn't hurt..'_ She thought as she placed a hand over her incision. _'But I still feel bad...' _She had to pause for a moment as the nausea started getting worse.

"Real bad!" She moaned as she had to scurry back over to the toilet and kneel down. She quickly raised the lid back up and leaned in to puke. After coughing up a few more mouthfuls of liquid, she sat up and wiped off her mouth with the back of her hand as she pushed down on the handle of the toilet to flush it. With a sigh, she stood back up and saw herself in the mirror again.

"This sucks.." She moaned to her reflection.

* * *

Back in the living room, Spencer had placed the next pill of Vicodin alongside a glass of water on the small table in front of the couch for Sam to take when she came back. He was currently standing in the kitchen next to the toaster as it heated up a piece of bread for his patient to eat with her medication. Carly was still sitting on the couch when she looked over and noticed her friend walk back into the room.

"Hey Sam.." She greeted her gently. The sick girl gave no response as she walked back over to the couch and sat down slowly. "You ok?" Carly asked, noticing she looked extremely ill, even more so than usual.

"Meh.." Sam shrugged, staring off into space, as if she wasn't really listening, even though she was but was too tired to form words. Carly cocked her eyebrow as she scooted over closer and gently put the back of her hand against her friend's forehead. Sam sighed in comfort at she felt her Carly's cooler hand against her skin.

"Spencer.." Carly stated quietly as her brother was now placing the piece of toast on a plate. He turned around in the kitchen to look at her.

"Yeah little sis?" He asked.

"I think she's got a fever.." She stated worriedly.

"Fever?" Spencer asked as he walked through the kitchen with the plate of toast in hand and back over to the couch. He set the plate down on the table and made his way over to Sam's other side and bent down to check her for himself. She closed her eyes as she felt him put the back of his hand on her forehead just as Carly did before. "Hmm, you're right, she does seem a bit warm." He murmured as he stood back up and put a fist to his chin in thought.

"What do we do?" Carly asked nervously as she saw Sam open her eyes back up and continue to stare into space lifelessly.

"Well, the doctor did say low grade fevers are normal after an appendectomy, but he also said that if one gets any higher than 101 degrees, we should call his office. I'm going to get the thermometer." Spencer explained as he made his way towards his bathroom. "While I do that, you make sure she takes her medicine." He called back.

"Alright." Carly responded as she watched her brother leave the room. She then looked back over at her friend. "Hey.." Carly stated gently, putting her hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Hmm?" Sam asked softly, looking at her best friend.

"You have to take this ok?" Carly spoke softly as she held up the small pill.

"Kay.." Sam replied unemotionally without a fuss, holding out her hand. Carly placed the pill into her friend's palm and then reached over and picked up the glass of water from the table. She watched as Sam put the pill into her mouth before handing her the drink. Carly stayed by her friend's side as Sam rose the glass to her mouth and finished sipping the water down.

"Done?" Carly asked gently as Sam nodded her head weakly, handing her back the empty glass. "Alright." Carly smiled as she took the cup from her friend and stood up. "I'm going to go and get you a cool towel to put on your forehead, ok?" She stated as Sam nodded again, not wanting to talk. "Now try to eat a bit of that toast, but don't force too much. The doctor said to take your pill with some food, but we don't want you getting sick again." Carly stated softly as she pointed to the plate on the table. Sam looked down at it and felt her stomach churn.

"Alright.." The girl moaned hesitantly, picking up the piece of bread. Carly was satisfied by her answer and turned around and started to walk towards the kitchen. As her friend walked away, Sam glanced over to her right and noticed that Carly was now preoccupied with her current task of finding a hand towel. The blond girl then snuck a quick glance over to her left to make sure Spencer wasn't there either. With a sigh, Sam looked back at the piece of toast in her hands, feeling her stomach roll over in nausea.

_'I think it's these cruddy painkillers that are making me feel like a sick robot...'_ Sam thought to herself tiredly, having figured this out back in the bathroom when she was puking her guts out despite her incision not erupting in pain. While it was true that the Vicodin was doing it's job, as it had dulled down the pain in her abdomen, it came with an awful price. Sam realized that these pills were sapping her personality, making her emotionally distant. And the fact that they made her want to vomit at the sight of food was a pretty awful side effect too.

_'The only time I've felt right these past few days was when I came back home from the hospital.....when the painkillers were wearing off. Before I took the Vicodin...." _She let out an exasperated sigh, trying to think._ 'I mean, yeah I hurt a bit, but at least I was myself..'_ She thought tiredly, remembering that she was happy while talking with Carly and Freddie and could eat her applesauce without puking. _'That's probably why I felt dizzy and sick at the hospital too..'_ Sam moaned, glancing down at her arm where the IV was pumping painkillers into her.

_'So what do I do?'_ She tried to think of her options. At this point she wasn't sure which was worse. The pain, or not feeling right mentally. With a small sigh, the blond girl glanced back around the room once more to make sure no one was looking. She quickly deduced by the sound of running water that Carly had to be standing over by the sink now, wetting a towel. This meant that her best friend was unable to see into the living room for the moment. Sam also noted that Spencer was still in his bathroom getting the thermometer set up, so there was no one around to see what she was about to do. Satisfied that the coast was clear, Sam looked back down at her hand and gently placed two fingers into her mouth. She felt around under her tongue for a moment until she pulled her hand back out. With a sigh, she looked down at it.

_'I'd rather deal with the pain then this garbage..'_ She thought, glancing down at the spit covered Vicodin pill resting in her palm.

* * *

**Hmmm...so Sam faked taking her Vicodin and spit it back out. What will happen because of this? Stay tuned... since I need to write it out. xD**

**(Oh, and a quick little side note to Veeanna! Here's how I'd write that sentence to make it flow a bit better!**)

**-----------  
**  
"Carly had to shut the door after Sam came in since her friend didn't feel bothered to close it."

**-or-**

"Carly shut the door after Sam came in since her friend didn't bother to close it."

**------------**

**Hope that helps you out. =)**


	50. Shower

**First of all I just want to apologize for the delay in this chapter! I was on vacation for a few days and away from my computer! But I'm back now, so let the story commence! ^_^**

* * *

_'I'd rather deal with the pain than this garbage..'_ Sam thought, glancing down at the spit covered Vicodin pill resting in her palm. She realized she had to hide it and looked over to the left side of the couch, noticing a box of tissues on a small table. Sneaking one more glance over to make sure Carly wasn't coming, Sam bent forward and put the toast back on the plate, before reaching over and pulling out a tissue. She slowly wrapped the pill in the white paper and folded it over, concealing it from view. Sam quickly slipped the covered pill into the pocket of the gray jacket she was currently wearing. With a sigh, the blond girl looked up and saw her friend coming back.

_'Good timing..'_ Sam thought tiredly.

"Here, I've got the towel." Carly spoke softly as she walked over carrying a hand towel and bowl.

"Is that soup?" Sam croaked out quietly, eyeing the bowl. If her friend was going to force her to eat it, she was surely going to puke....again.

"Huh? Oh no, it's a bowl of water, to wet the towel with." Carly smiled as she gently set it down on the table and sat down next to her best friend. "Why? Do you want soup?"

"No.." Sam moaned. Carly looked over at her sympathetically as she began folding up the wet towel.

"Here, put this on your head." Carly reached over and pushed the hair out of her Sam's eyes before gently placing the wet cloth on her friend's forehead.

"Mmmm..." Sam mumbled, closing her eyes as she put her hand on top of the cloth, holding it in place. She leaned her head back against the top of the couch and had to pause for a moment to adjust to the quick temperature change. At first it was a shock, but then the cool sensation started to feel wonderful.

"That feel better?" Carly asked.

"Yeah..." Sam replied quietly, pulling her hand off the towel once she realized it would stay in place if she kept her head tilted towards the ceiling. She let her arms rest lazily by her sides next to her on the couch.

"That's good." Carly smiled. "Do you need anything else? I mean, I can have Spencer turn the temperature down a bit if you're too warm, or turn it up if.."

"No...just the jacket.." Sam sighed, looking down at her arms. She was feeling pretty crappy due to the fever, and her body felt like it was festering in an ill warmth. The jacket that saved her from the horrible chills before was now keeping the sick warmth around her body.

"Oh, you want it off?" Carly asked as Sam just nodded her head slowly. "Alright, I've got it.." Carly reached over and unzipped the front. "Here, just hold your arms out..." She instructed as Sam weakly held up her arms so her friend could slip the jacket off. "There we go." Carly finished as she pulled the jacket out from behind Sam and stood up. She walked over and placed it down on a chair before walking back over to the couch and sitting next to her friend once more. "That ok?"

"Yeah..." Sam sighed once more, just staring up at the ceiling into space. Carly looked over at her sympathetically, understanding why she was acting this way. She knew her friend felt like crap, and took no offense to her unemotional responses. It was unfortunate that Sam wasn't able to understand this. _'Darn it! Why can't I get my feelings out!'_ The sick girl screamed in her head, tired of being this way and acting unappreciative.

"Hey Sam..." Carly gently stated as she looked over at the table, noticing the uneaten piece of bread.

"Hm?" Sam slowly turned her head towards her friend to see her holding up the piece of toast.

"C'mon, take a few bites.." Carly responded gently, holding the toast up, realizing Sam put it back down without taking a bite after she said she would eat it.

"Kay..." Sam replied once more with a sad sigh, taking the bread from her friend and reluctantly putting it to her mouth. Choking back her nausea, she took a small bite and began to chew. Carly sat patiently with her, making sure she listened this time. After Sam swallowed the small amount she took one more bite and ate it in the same fashion. Carly watched as Sam rose the piece of bread to her mouth for a third time before gently pulling it back at the last moment. "No more.." She moaned.

"Why don't you just take one last bite?" Carly offered, noticing that her friend didn't have much to eat.

"I-I can't.....feel sick..." Sam sighed, shutting her eyes.

"It's alright.." Carly replied, taking the bread from Sam's hand and placing it back down on the plate. "You don't have to." She watched as Sam let out another sad sigh, returning her eye sight to the ceiling. _'Man, she's really sick...'_ Carly thought as she watched her friend stare into space with a defeated look. _'I wish I could help out more...'_ The brunette girl thought to herself, deciding to let her friend know that she was there for her. "Sam, if you need anything at all, _anything_, please don't hesitate to ask.." Carly looked at her best friend cautiously, hoping that despite how foggy she was, Sam would take this offer into consideration.

"I know..." The sick girl replied, still looking into space. She knew how much her best friend was trying to help, and deeply appreciated the sentiment. But she still wasn't sure if Carly could tell how much she appreciated it. Sam decided to try her best to fight the medications woozy effects and turned her head back towards Carly. "Thanks Carls.." The blond girl gave a small smile.

"You're welcome." Carly replied as she returned the smile, relieved to see her friend show a bit of emotion. The two girls then looked over as Spencer came back into the room.

"Alrighty, got the thermometer." He stated as he walked over to the couch and sat down next to Sam. "Now let's see what's going on in there." He held up the device to her as she sighed while opening her mouth. Spencer gently placed it under her tongue and glanced down at his wristwatch to calculate the minutes. "Now don't move it until I tell you, ok?" He told Sam gently.

"Mmf.." Sam nodded her head tiredly as she placed her hand back on top of the towel on her forehead and slowly leaned over to the right and rested her head against Carly's shoulder while closing her eyes. The trio sat in silence until Spencer noticed it was time to take the thermometer out.

"Ok let's see what we have here.." He stated quietly as he reached over and gently pulled the device out of Sam's mouth. The girl made no attempt to open her eyes and simply just licked the roof of her mouth a few times once the thermometer was out. "Hmm..." Spencer stated as he glanced at the small numbers.

"Is it ok?" Carly asked softly, hoping there wasn't a problem. She glanced back down at her best friend resting on her shoulder and really hoped there was no emergency to call the doctor's office for.

"According to this her temperature is 99.2" Spencer replied, glancing at the clear device. He then looked up at Carly. "There's no need to notify the doctor right now, but we're definitely going to have to keep an eye on this fever." Spencer glanced down at Sam, lightly putting his hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

"Hm..?" Sam cracked her eyes open and glanced over at him.

"Do you hear that kiddo? We're going to watch your temperature, but if you feel any worse you tell us right away, understand?" Spencer asked gently.

"There could be a worse? Oy...." Sam moaned. "...but no need for doctor right now.." She confirmed quietly.

"Alright, but don't try to hide anything from us." Spencer gave her a small smile, knowing her personality.

"Kay...I won't..." Sam sighed "..._starting now_." She added under her breath so Carly and Spencer couldn't hear, remembering the Vicodin she spat out a few minutes ago.

"Good." Spencer smiled as he gave her a few pats on the shoulder before standing back up. "I'm going to go rinse out the thermometer for the next use. Now you take it easy and relax." Spencer gave a soft smile.

"Yeah.." Sam sighed. The girls watched as he got up and left the room. "Carly?" Sam moaned, lazily putting her hand against the towel on her forehead and pulling herself off her friend's shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Can I shower?" Sam asked quietly. She realized the fever was making her sweaty and all around cruddy feeling, and after being in the hospital for a day or two, she felt it was time for a shower.

"Hm? Oh, let me check about that." Carly smiled as she got up from the couch and walked over to the counter. After rifling through a few papers, she found the instructions given to them by the doctor for her friend's recovery. "Alright.." Carly started to say as she walked back over to the couch with the piece of paper in her hand. She then sat back down next to her friend. "You can take a twenty minute shower, but nothing longer than that." She glanced over at Sam who gave a small nod of the head to show she understood. Carly then looked back at the paper. "And it says no baths." She added.

"Who wants to sit in wet dirt..?" Sam asked quietly as her best friend looked over at her.

"Guess I turned you off of those huh?" Carly asked with a smile, remembering how she told Sam that a bath meant you sat around in your own filth.

"Yeah...just a bit." Sam gave her a small smile before sighing tiredly. Any sign of emotion was hard to show.

"Sorry about that." Carly chuckled. "So, do you want me to start up the shower and get you some clothes?"

"I can get the clothes.." Sam replied quietly, taking the towel off her forehead and placing it next to the bowl. She then began to stand up.

"Ok, that's good then since the doctor said you should walk around a bit." Carly smiled until she noticed her friend had a bit of trouble when moving and winced as she held her right side.

"You alright?" Carly asked as she stood up quickly next to Sam. The blond girl sighed, feeling a bit jealous at how easily her friend could get up.

"Yeah, I'm ok..." She looked down sadly at her stomach. It was starting to ache a little bit, which probably meant that the painkillers were starting to wear off, but she still felt pretty zombie-like.

"Alright, let's get over to the elevator." Carly gave a small smile as she walked alongside Sam across the living room. The brunette girl reached over and pressed the small button, making the door let out a ding as it slid upwards. The two girls walked in and stood quietly as the door closed back down. The elevator started to ascend to the next floor while Carly glanced over at her friend. Sam was leaning against the back wall of the elevator with her eyes closed. It was obvious she was still pretty beat.

* * *

The girls had eventually made their way over to Carly's room. Sam was now currently rifling through Carly's dresser drawer, where her best friend had put all of the clothing that she brought back from her house. During this time Carly was getting everything set up in the bathroom for Sam.

_'Good choices..' _The blond girl thought tiredly as she realized Carly brought back a lot of comfy and simple clothing. Even a pair of jeans felt to be too much of a hassle to try and wear at this point. After a few moments, Sam finally pulled out a plain gray t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. The fever was really bringing her temperature up and she wanted a cooler outfit.

"Alright, the shower is ready." Carly replied as she walked out carrying a towel. She watched as Sam gently closed back up the drawer and turned around to face her, holding a bundle of clothes. "Here's a towel." Carly walked over and handed her friend the light purple cloth.

"Thanks.." Sam replied quietly as the two girls walked into the bathroom.

"Now I put all the shampoo and stuff on the top shelf area." Carly explained as she pulled open her shower curtain to show where it was. "That way you don't have to strain to reach it, ok?"

"Mhm." Sam nodded tiredly. Although the girl looked beat and uninterested on the outside, she was a bit humored by her best friend instructing her on how to do a simple task like taking a shower.

"Also..." Carly started to say as she pulled out the piece of paper from her back pocket and scanned the instructions. "You have to wash your incision area with warm soap and water. There's one bar of soap by the sink, and one in the shower if you need it."

"Yes mother...." Sam sighed, giving Carly a small smile.

"Hey, you better listen to these instructions!" Carly laughed as she folded up the piece of paper and slipped it back into her pocket. She was glad to see that Sam was starting to show a little more personality.

"I will.." Sam had to pause to yawn. "..don't worry." She sighed. It was fun talking to Carly, but she was starting to feel weak again, and realized that she still had to shower. Sam almost regretted asking to take one now.

"Also...will you be needing any help?" Carly asked cautiously, noticing her friend was starting to get sleepy.

"Nah, I'll be ok." Sam replied quietly.

"Alright, well, in any case, I'm going to be right out here. So if you need _any _help, just call."

"Like if I drop the bar of soap?" Sam chuckled quietly.

"Yes, even if you drop the bar of soap." Carly laughed. "Seriously, any help at all, don't hesitate to ask. Because I..."

"Carlyyyy..." Sam moaned. "I can do this myself."

"I know." Carly added. "But I also know that you're sick and when you mix that with your stubborn attitude, it makes for a disastrous combination." The brunette girl smirked.

"I'm not stubborn." Sam huffed.

"Yes you are." Carly smiled as her friend rolled her eyes.

"Fine I am." Sam gave in quickly. "Can I go shower now?"

"Yes, but remember, call me if you need help. I swear Sam, don't make me find you passed out in there because you felt too awkward to ask for help. Even if the situation is embarrassing, call for me because I..."

"Carly!" Sam cut her off.

"Hey, it's either me or Spencer!" Carly laughed. "And at least I've had a history of helping you out with the more embarrassing stuff."

"Oh yeah?" Sam cocked her eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Oh like that one time when were we on the school field trip to the amusement park.." Carly stated nonchalantly, pausing for effect as her best friend's eyed widened. "When you ate the spicy tacos and I had to make up an excuse to hold the bus for you while you..."

"Ah! You promised we would never speak of that again!" Sam exclaimed pitifully, remembering how humiliating that was. The situation could have been a lot worse if Carly wasn't there to make the bus driver stop from leaving. Sam would have never lived it down if she had to tell a whole bus full of Ridgeway students that the real reason for the delay was because she had to use the restroom. Carly actually had everyone get off the bus and search for her conveniently missing purse in order to save her best friend from humiliation.

"Spicy food never did agree with you." Carly chimed in softly, humored by Sam's current embarrassment.

"Bah, ok!" Sam exclaimed. "I will call you if I need help!"

"Good." Carly smiled.

"Now can I go?" Sam asked, her cheeks red.

"Yes." Carly couldn't help but chuckle. She knew she pressed a few of her friend's buttons, but it seemed to have woken her up and put her in a better mood.

"Finally!" Sam exclaimed as she walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Carly gave a small laugh as she walked over to her bed and sat down on it. She picked up the remote and clicked the TV on as she waited.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the living room, Spencer came back out from his bathroom after cleaning the thermometer.

"Carly? Sam?" He asked, noticing the two disappeared. As he walked around towards the front of the couch, Frothy eyed the man from his position on the chair. "Where'd you guys go?" Spencer asked the empty room pathetically. As he walked by the chair, Frothy let out a small growl.

"Whoa!" Spencer jumped back away from the plump cat. "Didn't see you there bud."

"Mrrrr...." Frothy continued to growl.

"Hey, none of that now!" Spencer looked down at the cat firmly. "Sam told you to be nice to me." He waved his pointer at the animal disapprovingly and couldn't help but notice that once he said Sam's name, the cat's ears went down and he stopped growling. Spencer stared at Frothy for a few seconds before he decided to try something. "Hey, by any chance, you know where Sam went?"

"Mrowww..." Frothy lazily meowed as he stood up and stretched his back. Spencer watched as the cat jumped off the chair lightly and limped over to the elevator. Frothy sat down and turned his head around to glance back at Spencer.

"They went in the elevator?" Spencer asked as he made his way over to the door.

"Mrow.." Frothy added, his tail twitching.

"Hm, I guess they went up to Carly's room." Spencer replied before looking back down at Frothy, deciding to have a little fun. He crouched down to look the cat in the eyes. "So Lassie....did Timmy fall down a well?"

"Mreh.." Frothy huffed, as if to say _"Never heard that one before_.."

"Sorry." Spencer apologized to the animal for his lame joke and stood up. "Thanks for telling me where the girls went." He added with a smile as he walked over to the steps and started to go up.

"Meh.." Frothy turned around and hobbled over to his chair and jumped back up.

* * *

"Hey Carly, Sam? You guys in there?" Spencer asked as he walked through the hallway over to his sister's bedroom. He stopped in the doorway and noticed Carly was sitting on her bed watching TV.

"Yeah, right here." She smiled.

"And Sam?"

"She's in the shower right now." Carly turned around and pointed to the closed bathroom door.

"Alright." Spencer smiled, glad to see they were ok. "Oh! But did you check the..."

"Yup!" Carly replied, pulling the piece of paper out of her back pocket and holding it up. "I read everything and told Sam what to do."

"Good." Spencer smiled as he walked over to the bathroom door and lightly gave a knock.

"What now?" Sam's voice moaned from behind the door.

"Um, it's Spencer!" He called out. "Just wanted to tell you that if you need help, Carly and I are here for you."

"Ugh...." Sam let out a loud moan of irritation.

"Oops.." Spencer whispered to his sister. "I think I struck one of her nerves!" He added, noticing the annoyance in her voice.

"Don't worry." Carly laughed. "That was all me."

* * *

**Alright, so Carly's doing her best to keep her friend's spirits up! Looks like it's working. =) Also, I had to add that part in about Carly and Sam at the amusement park with the spicy tacos because I'm sure everyone has had at least ONE embarrassing moment in their life like that. (I know I have! x_x) It's such a horrible feeling, isn't it? xD  
**


	51. Incision

Sam sighed as she took off her clothes painfully and stepped into the shower. The water was set to the perfect temperature by her friend and felt amazing. Even though she had a fever, the warm shower gave the sick girl a sense of comfort. Sam reached over for the shampoo bottle, all the while avoiding looking down at her incision because she really didn't have the stomach to see it yet. She wasn't sure if she would puke or not upon the sight.

_'I like gross things...but not when they happen to me.'_ She sighed. If anyone knew that Sam Puckett was too afraid to look at a little scar, her reputation for withstanding all things humanly gross would vanish in an instant. _'Well...at least I don't have a neck infection..'_ She laughed to herself quietly as she squirted some shampoo out into her palm and began washing her hair. Just then she heard a small knock on the door. _'Carly...geeze....what else would you possibly need to tell me?!'_ Sam thought tiredly.

"What now?" The blond girl moaned to the door.

"Um, it's Spencer!" The familiar voice called out. "Just wanted to tell you that if you need help, Carly and I are here for you."

"Ugh...." Sam let out a loud moan of irritation. Her friends were being very kind, but there did come a point when all of that kindness could get irritating.

_'Still...' _Sam thought as she rinsed out her hair. _'I really should hold my temper better with them. They're just trying to help.' _She reached over for the conditioner this time. "Nah, I'm ok!" She called out to the door.

"Oh, alrighty then." Spencer's voice replied happily, glad to hear that the annoyance in her own was gone. "Carly's outside the door and I'll be downstairs if you need me. Have fun scrubbin it up!"

"Thanks. " Sam laughed. _'Good, he's not mad..'_ She thought as she worked on her hair once more.

* * *

Ten minutes had passed, until Sam finished up everything in the shower except for cleaning her incision. She finally got the nerve to look down and noticed she had a bandage over top of it. _'Wonder if I should have taken that off..'_ She sighed tiredly. _'Oh well, I do have to remove it to wash...'_ Sam thought reluctantly as her fingers grasped the edge of the gauze. She started to pull gently and realized there was a bit of pain.

"Ow.." Sam moaned, continuing to pull it gently. There was a small ache, but nothing too bad. The bandage eventually started to give as Sam closed her eyes. She could feel it pull away from her skin and soon enough she held the strip up separately in her hand. _'Probably not a smart idea to remove this while not looking, but I'm not a smart person..' _Sam thought to herself, keeping her eyes closed. She was afraid to look down just incase her organs were falling out or something awful like that. The girl placed the bandage over on top of the shower shelf and summoned up enough courage to look down at her stomach. She had to pause for a moment as she stared at the wound.

"Oh, that's not so bad.." She stated, glancing at the cut on her stomach. It was roughly one or two inches and had staples going along it to keep it closed, resembling the scar on Frankenstein's head. "I mean, the staples are pretty gross, since they're in my skin and all.." Sam spoke out loud, noticing the edges around them were red. "..and they're keeping my stomach closed...." She started to feel a bit uneasy as she continued to look down. "...because it was cut open by a doctor.." Sam's train of thought was making her feel ill. "....and that doctor cut out my insides." The last thought along with the dull ache made Sam feel sick to her stomach. "Oh...not feeling so good...." She moaned as everything started to get woozy. "I can't do this.." Sam stated as she felt her knees start to buckle.

_'Dangit!' _She thought as she had to grip the towel rack on the side of the shower to avoid blacking out. _'Maybe the feeling will pass...' _She thought to herself quietly before Carly's words rang out in her head. _"I swear Sam, don't make me find you passed out in there.."_

"Man Carls.." Sam moaned as she shut her eyes. "Why did you have to go and say that?" The girl stated as she realized the feeling wasn't subsiding. She began to notice it was very possible that she could pass out at any moment, especially with the thought of her surgery wound still on her mind. _'How can such a stupid little scar do this? It's not even bloody!' _Sam thought angrily at herself. She had seen way worse injuries, but the thought of a gash being cut into her own body was making her feel pretty awful. Fighting back the darkness of unconsciousness, Sam reached over and shut the knob of the shower off. The warm water was adding to the funky ill feeling and she needed it to stop. After pausing for a moment, Sam noticed there was a purple towel folded up on the shelf. She gently reached out of the shower, trying her best not to fall, and pulled it in with her, wrapping it around her body. While doing this, Sam realized the world felt so weird and floaty to her and she didn't know how long she could stay standing. Sucking down all her pride, Sam took a deep breath..

"CARLY!"

* * *

"Huh?!" Carly was sitting on her bed watching TV when she heard her friend call out. "Sam?" She paused for a moment, wondering if she heard right.

"CARLYYYYY!" Sam's voice rang out in desperation from the bathroom once more.

"SAM!" The brunette girl raced off her bed and ran over to the door. She paused for a moment, putting her hand over her eyes and pushed open the door. "Sam?! Is it ok to look?" She asked, making sure her friend had privacy just incase.

"Yeah yeah yeah.." Sam moaned, keeping the large towel in place wrapped around her body. She felt incredibly dizzy and knew that if she moved she would pass out...or puke. Or a combination of the two. Either way, she needed help.

Carly took her hand away from her eyes and glanced around the bathroom, noticing Sam wasn't there so she still had to be inside the shower. "Oh my god.." Carly stated to herself quietly as she raced over. As she put her fingers against the shower curtain, her mind went through a million questions in one quick split second, picturing horrible scenarios, some of which included blood. Carly choked back a lump of fear in her throat as she hoped her friend was alright. In one quick motion, the brunette girl pulled the curtain away to reveal Sam covered in a purple towel, leaning against the towel rack with her eyes closed and breathing heavily. Carly noticed she was shaking a bit and that her skin was incredibly pale.

"What's wrong?!" Carly asked worriedly as she stepped in.

"Dizzy.." Sam mumbled, grateful to have her friend there. "Get me out of here...before I faint..." She mumbled, referring to the shower.

"Alright, easy, easy.." Carly replied as she wrapped her arms around her friend's toweled body and slowly walked out with her, leading her over to the middle of the bathroom. Sam barely had any strength so Carly had to support her the entire time. The brunette girl was in no way a strong person, but the worry of her friend being in trouble gave her a sort of temporary super strength in which she could keep her friend up. "Do you want to sit down?!" Carly asked frantically, still holding Sam. The blond girl slowly shook her head and looked around the room. Everything was starting to clear up and the dizzy feeling was beginning to go away.

"Crap..." Sam muttered as she closed her eyes, feeling like an idiot. Here she was, standing in the middle of the bathroom, sopping wet, covered by only a large towel, and her best friend had to walk her out of the shower because she was too weak to stay conscious herself.

"Sam?" Carly asked quietly, looking down at her best friend. "Are you ok?" She wasn't sure what to do at this point.

Sam let out a deep sigh of embarrassment. "Yeah...I'm ok now..." She looked up at Carly. The brunette girl felt her friend's weight start to lift off which meant Sam could stand on her own now.

"What happened?!" Carly asked worriedly.

"Man! I freaked out!" Sam spat angrily at herself, keeping a firm grasp on her towel.

"What?" Carly asked, unsure of what her friend was talking about.

"I saw my incision and started freaking out about it. So stupid." Sam sighed.

"Why? What's wrong?" Carly looked over at her cautiously, hoping her friend didn't rip the staples or had to go back to the emergency room.

"Nothing's wrong, the incision is fine." Sam stated quietly, averting her best friend's gaze.

"Huh? But then..?"

"I just panicked, ok?!" Sam snapped her head back up. "I saw the small little cut, started thinking about it, and began to pass out. God I'm so stupid." She started to yell at herself.

"Whoa, calm down!" Carly gently stated as she put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You're not stupid."

"Yes I am." Sam moaned. "I started psycho-analyzing the scar, and I made myself sick."

"C'mon take it easy.." Carly replied gently, not wanting her friend to feel angry at herself for nothing serious. "You were already sick to begin with. So you felt a little ill after looking at your scar... It's no big deal...."

"Yes it is.." Sam growled at herself. "I'm supposed to like all the gross stuff, but I can't even handle one small cut. This whole situation is flipping my personality around and I hate it!"

"You just had surgery! You've got to stop getting mad at yourself. Yes, you may feel a bit weird, but you'll get better and feel normal in no time. You just have to have some patience!" Carly added as she saw her best friend sigh sadly.

"I know but....patience isn't my thing.."

"Well I guess the surgery hasn't taken _that_ away from your personality." Carly chuckled. Sam looked up at her cautiously, before cracking a small smile.

"Yeah..I guess you're right."

"See? You're still yourself. And whatever feels different, just calm down and don't worry about it. Let your body heal. Spencer, Freddie and I seriously don't mind whatever you act like until you feel better, ok? So just...relax."

"Alright." Sam took a deep breath. "I'll try." She gave a small smile.

"Good." Carly replied smiling back. "Now...do you need help getting into your clothes or..?"

"Huh?" Sam looked down as she noticed she was still only wearing a towel. She had temporarily forgotten about that small detail until now. The blond girl looked back up at her friend with red cheeks. "You were right Carls. This is embarrassing..." She moaned.

"It's alright." Carly gave a small chuckle. "I don't mind, and no one else needs to know, ok?"

"Thanks." Sam smiled. "Though I do think I can get my own clothes on now."

"Ok." Carly replied as she made her way over to the bathroom door to let her friend have privacy. "Oh and Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Call if you need..."

"...any help, I got it." Sam answered as they both laughed.

"Yes." Carly added. "And one last thing."

"What?" Sam asked curiously.

"Thanks for calling when you were in trouble. I know how hard it was for you to ask for my help, since you think that's a sign of weakness, but in reality, that was a pretty brave and strong thing of you to do. I'm just glad you're ok." And with that last statement, Carly smiled and walked out, shutting the door with a small click. Sam looked down for a moment in thought.

_'What did I ever do to deserve such an amazing friend?'_

* * *

**Poor Sam! She keeps freaking out at stuff! At first I figured Sam wouldn't let the incision bother her, but then I thought about how she's not really herself just yet. And she's still sick, so thinking about the surgery could easily make her feel cruddy. Plus, if I had the incision myself and was feeling some pain, I would have started to freak out if I began thinking about my insides being cut up too.  
**

**(Also, I figured this would be another good friendship moment for Carly and Sam! Don't worry though, Freddie's coming back. ;) It's just early in the morning so the Shays have to deal with everything until later when he comes by. :P)  
**


	52. Medication Starts Wearing Off

**I just wanted to answer a review here just incase anyone else was thinking the same thing! Roseheart was a little sad that this story seems to have lost a bit of Sam's character and personality, BUT I have a very good reason for this. I haven't lost sight of her character, and I've written a detailed explanation of why Sam seems so different:**

**Roseheart-Yes, it's true that Sam is acting a bit OOC (kinder and gentler) in this story. But you have to understand she's still on drugs, and has been ever since the surgery. Of course, the drugs have been wearing off a few times, but her body's never been fully cleared of them since the hospital. I think the last time she was herself, was when she actually ran away from the gang in the apartment, before Carly stopped her. That was basically the last scene with 'completely normal' Sam. Ever since then, she's been given morphine in the ambulance, anesthesia during the surgery, and painkillers during her recovery. One of the main side effects of all those types of drugs is that they can alter a person's personality. I've been purposely messing around with Sam's feelings as it's crucial in this story to show how tough of a time she's going through. This whole story deals about all aspects of appendicitis, including the recovery! And I wanted to show the effects of recovering from an appendectomy and how Sam needs her friends by her side during this difficult time of feeling sick and weird. I've even written out scenes that explains how Sam _herself _has started realizing that she's been acting abnormal and began trying to struggle back to her old personality, especially when talking to her friends! (but it's obviously not working as well as she wants it to xP). I've also written out scenes in which Carly and Freddie seemed to have notice the switch in her personality as well. So I have been aware of what I was doing to her as it fits in with the plotline of this story. Don't worry though! Once things start to go back to normal for her and the drugs are no longer needed, she WILL return back to her old, sharp tongued self. (Of course with a few revelations and meaningful memories---but still, Freddie _will_ have to watch his back!) So to sum this up, Sam's not going to do a complete 180 with her personality. I hope you can understand why I've been writing her this way! I haven't lost sight of her characterization, nor am I tweaking her just for the sake of my own wants to make her fit certain scenes ( I'm tweaking her because of the drugs, because that's an actual detail of recovering from this type of surgery..)**

**I hope you guys understand what I've been trying to portray throughout these chapters! I hate when an author butchers a character's personality, and I just wanted to make sure all my readers know I've been doing this ON PURPOSE to Sam's character for the sake of accuracy! I really don't want anyone feeling bad about my story because they think I've started to veer off the path of proper characterization, because I truly haven't! Now when I have the drugs clear out of Sam's system completely, if some readers STILL think I'm writing her wrong, then yes, you may criticize that for the sake of of her characterization being butchered! But please understand that she's messed up in the head right now for a reason so she's going to act a bit different!**

**(Sorry for going off on a bit of a rant, but like I said before, I think characterization is an important aspect of a story --especially fanfiction-- and I just want to let my readers know why I'm writing certain things out in the story like this!) Now onto the next chapter!  
**

* * *

_'What did I ever do to deserve such an amazing friend?' _Sam thought to herself as she began the task of changing herself. She realized Carly was racking up a lot of friend points these past few days, and knew she was going to have to let her friend cash in on that in the future. The blond girl couldn't help but chuckle as she thought about what Carly might say if she knew she was comparing their friendship to gambling. Sam smiled, knowing it probably wouldn't be anything good. Her smile faded though when she reached down to grab her shorts.

"Oh god..." Sam moaned as she continued to dress herself. Her incision was starting to throb in a harsher pain, and it was really starting to bother the girl. "Eh.." Sam huffed, trying to ignore the sensation. "I can deal with this junk as long as my head continues to clear up." She thought, starting to feel a bit better mentally. Once she was fully dressed in her gray t-shirt, black shorts, and gray socks, she stood up and looked in the mirror. "I still have to clean my cut.." She moaned, looking over at a bar of soap and hand towel next to the sink. With a sad sigh, she reluctantly turned around and pulled herself up to sit on top of the counter. "Bleh...that hurt.." Sam grit her teeth as she held her side. She then reached over to grab the hand towel and turned the faucet on to a warm setting. After wetting the small purple cloth for a second, she reluctantly rolled up her shirt and started to dab her skin.

_'Man...Carly loves purple..' _Sam thought to herself as she looked at the towel, trying to keep her mind off of the gash. As she reached over to grab the bar of soap, there was a soft knock. "Yeah?" Sam asked curiously as she wiped the soap off on the towel.

"You done changing?" Carly's voice asked softly.

"Yup." Sam replied casually as the door opened.

"That's good. Are you feeling any bett..." Carly stopped talking as she stood in the doorway. "Oh!" She stated, caught off guard as she realized her friend was cleaning out her wound. The girl quickly shook off the initial shock and tried not to be rude and stare. "Um..better? Are you f-feeling any better?" She stuttered. Sam couldn't help but smile.

"This bother you?" Sam asked quietly, removing the towel from her stomach.

"H-huh?" Carly asked, shocked to see her friend's surgery incision for the first time. She couldn't help but feel sympathetic for her friend as it looked painful.

"S'okay." Sam replied, covering it back up with the towel to clean it. "Freaks me out too. But at least you're not going to pass out like I was." She smiled back over at her best friend. "...or are you?" She added, realizing Carly hadn't moved.

"Oh uh, no it's ok!" The brunette girl replied shakily as she walked over to her friend.

"You don't have to put on a false act for me Carls.." Sam chuckled quietly. "You can go if you're uncomfortable."

"I'm not uncomfortable..." Carly stated slowly. "Why would you think that?"

"Well, your skin is paler than mine for one." Sam laughed. "And you look like you're going to be sick."

"No...I'm fine." Carly added.

"I dunno....seems our roles have reversed.." Sam stated thoughtfully as she continued to clean her gash.

"What?" Carly cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh nothing.." Sam shrugged. "It's just obvious that you're lying." She smiled back at her.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Carly finally admitted.

"You can seriously leave if you want to though." Sam replied. "I won't take any offense. The cut scared the heck out of me too, but I think I can deal now."

"Nah, I'll stay." Carly replied. While she was indeed a squeamish girl, she didn't mind staying by her friend's side.

"So....you think this'll scare Freddie?" Sam asked randomly as she finished wiping up her stomach.

"Huh?" Carly didn't expect her friend to ask such a question.

"If I whip this out while he's eating, do you think he'll choke?" Sam smiled over at her.

"You really are feeling better, aren't you?" Carly laughed.

"Yeah!" Sam replied happily. "I think that little episode in the shower was the final effect from that last dose of Vicodin!"

"Your painkiller?" Carly asked curiously as Sam's eyes widened for a moment.

"Oh, um yeah. I was a bit dizzy from them, but I think my body is adjusting to it now." The blond girl replied quickly, almost letting her words slip about the pill she skipped.

"Oh.." Carly replied. "Still, if you think the painkillers were making you dizzy, maybe you should go lie down just incase."

"Alright." Sam responded as she set the towel down and made a move to get off the counter. "Oh, ow.." She moaned, holding her side as she slid off and stood up.

"Are you ok?" Carly asked, noticing her friend's discomfort.

"Yeah yeah, just a bit of pain." Sam waved her off.

"Oh, well, do you want to take an extra pill of Vicodin? The doctor said to increase the intake to two pills if you still feel some pain."

"No, that's alright!" Sam quickly answered. That was the last thing she wanted. "I'll feel fine once I lay down." She smiled. "Although, I do have to put a new bandage on my stomach."

"I think Spencer has them downstairs." Carly replied as the two walked out of the bathroom.

* * *

The girls eventually made their way to the living room via the elevator. There was no way Sam was going to attempt the stairs just yet. As soon as the big metal door slid open, the girls noticed Spencer was sitting at the computer apparently looking at various car parts on ebay. As soon as he heard the elevator noise, he swiveled around in his chair.

"Hey guys! How was your shower?"

"Oh...um fine." Sam replied, not adding the part where she almost passed out and had to be dragged out by her friend.

"That's good." Spencer smiled.

"Do you have any bandages?" Carly cut in. "Sam needs to put a new one on."

"Yup! Right here!" Spencer got off his seat and walked over to a bag on the counter and pulled out a box of gauze.

"Ok, well I'm just going to go over to the fridge and um, look at food and uh stuff.." Carly quickly exclaimed walking into the kitchen.

"Huh?" Spencer looked at his sister curiously before back to Sam. "What's her deal?"

"She's just a bit squeamish about my incision." Sam answered.

"Oh, heh.." Spencer chuckled as he got the bandage ready. "Carly always was weak kneed about things like this."

"You know I can still hear you guys right?" Carly stated, poking her head out from the fridge.

"Well it's true! You'd faint at the sight of a papercut." Spencer called back. Carly just rolled her eyes and looked back into the fridge. Spencer then chuckled as he glanced back over at Sam. "Alrighty, now let's get this bandage on."

"You sure? I mean, my cut is a bit freaky..." Sam stated awkwardly, knowing it had made both her and her best friend feel a bit sick.

"It's no problem. I have nerves of steel." Spencer smiled, flexing one of his arms.

"Kay.." Sam replied as she lifted her shirt up slightly, revealing the gash to him. There was a short moment of silence. "Spence?"

"Guh..." His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell backwards and passed out humorously on the floor.

"SPENCER!" Sam cried out, looking down at the sprawled out man laying on his back.

"Huh?" Carly poked her head out from the fridge once more. "What happened?!"

"Mr. Nerves of Steel fainted!" Sam exclaimed, pointing to him on the ground.

"Oh man.." Carly moaned, seeing her brother laying on the floor.

"Is he going to be ok?" Sam asked, lightly tapping his knee with the tip of her foot. He made no signs of any movement.

"Yeah.." Carly sighed as she walked over and bent down next to him. Sam cocked her eyebrow as she watched her best friend lean down towards Spencer's ear and take a deep breath. "WAKE UP!"

"WHUAH!" Spencer instantly sat up. "Where am I?!" He cried out, looking in all different directions.

_'Suddenly I don't feel so bad about the shower..' _Sam tried to keep herself from laughing. Out of the three of them, who would have figured that it was going to be the male adult who'd faint instead of the teenage girls.

"C'mon..." Carly stated softly as she helped her brother back up.

"What happened..?" Spencer asked weakly as he stood up, rubbing his head.

"You fainted. Nice job." Sam replied flatly as she walked over to him and grabbed the bandage from his hand. She turned her back towards the two squeamish Shays and pulled up her shirt once more to fix the gauze herself. After a short moment, she slid her shirt back down and turned around.

"Sorry." Spencer stated sheepishly.

"Nah, don't worry." Sam offered a small smile. She couldn't really berate someone for doing something that she almost did herself.

"Whew, alright." Spencer wiped off his forehead. "That was a rush." He laughed. "So how are you feeling?"

"Lots better." Sam smiled. Her mind was much more clear than before, and the only remnants of her sickness she felt was a small sleepy feeling. She was also glad that the extreme nausea and dizziness had gone away completely. Of course, it had been replaced with aching pain, but Sam didn't mind. All she could care about was that she was happy....and hungry. "Hey, do you think I can have some cereal?"

"You're hungry?" Spencer asked as the blond girl nodded. "Alright! What kind of cereal? We have Frosted Flakes, Coco Puffs, Rice Krispies..."

"Rice Krispies!" Sam smiled excitedly. Carly looked over at her, curious as to why she was so excited. "What?" Sam shrugged looking at her best friend. "I like the snap crackle pop!"

"Oh.." Carly laughed, humored by Sam's childish honesty.

"Ok, a bowl of Rice Krispies it is!" Spencer smiled. "You want any Carly?"

"Yeah, sure." She replied to her brother.

"Ok, two bowls of the good stuff, coming up!"

"Oh, and could you put some chopped bananas in it?" Sam quickly asked, making Spencer chuckle.

"Well, I see you _do_ have your appetite back." He smiled at her. "Sure! Now to the kitchen I go!" He turned around and trotted over to his cabinets. _'I'm glad she's feeling better...' _Spencer thought happily as he opened up his bowl cabinet and started to get things set.

"Why don't we go into the living room while Spencer fixes up breakfast?" Carly offered.

"Sounds good!" Sam agreed as they walked over to the couch. Carly sat down quickly and noticed that her best friend had to move slowly as she bent down, wincing the entire time.

"Still hurts?" The brunette girl asked cautiously, watching her friend take a few deep breaths as she finally sat down on the cushion. She looked like she was in quite a bit of pain.

"Oh um, yeah, but no big deal." Sam smiled over at her. Carly wasn't sure about the honesty of her words, but decided not to push it as she realized her best friend was acting a lot better than before. A few minutes passed until Spencer walked back into the living room, carrying two bowls in his hands.

"One for you.." He stated as he handed one over to his sister. "And one for you." He handed Sam hers.

"Thanks." Sam smiled, bringing the spoon up to her mouth and taking a bite. "Oh, how I've mitthed foood..." She replied, her mouth full.

"Mitthed?" Spencer asked his sister awkwardly.

"Missed." Carly replied before taking her own bite of cereal.

"Oh." Spencer chuckled.

* * *

A few minutes passed by now and the kids had finished up their cereal and flipped on the TV as their empty bowls sat against the table. Carly was currently sitting up on the left side of the couch while Sam was sitting in the middle. Her stomach was aching so much that it was starting to hurt with each breath, but despite this, the girl still felt well enough to hide the fact she didn't take her painkillers. Letting out a soft sigh, Sam noticed how tired she was and figured that if the pain was going to get any worse, falling asleep wouldn't be such a bad idea. Choking back her voice to keep from groaning, Sam slowly turned around on the couch and laid down on her back, resting her head on Carly's lap. The brunette girl looked down at her friend.

"Tired?" She asked.

"Yeah." Sam gave a small yawn. The blond girl noticed that if she laid still, the achy throbs wouldn't bother her _that_ much. Plus she was feeling sleepy and decided there was no harm in relaxing for the moment, especially since things were calming down in her mind.

"Alright." Carly smiled down at her before looking back up, allowing her best friend to use her as a pillow. The TV hummed softly as Sam tilted her head towards the screen while the girls continued to watch various programs. It was now 7:56 am when there was a slight knock on the door. Both Carly and Sam looked over at it before glancing at each other.

"I don't suppose you're going to get that?" Carly asked jokingly as she looked down at her best friend in her lap.

"Nope." Sam smiled, looking up at her before taking a deep breath. Carly cocked her eyebrow, wondering why her best friend inhaled so deeply until she watched Sam open her mouth and yell. "SPENCER!" The blond girl cried out, making Carly jump a bit in surprise, not expecting such a blunt call. _'Oh ow..' _Sam grit her teeth, forcing herself to avoid making a sound. _'Maybe I shouldn't have yelled..._' She moaned in her head, noticing her stomach felt like it was on fire for that split second.

"WHAT? WHAT?!" Spencer bolted out of his room and looked around the living room before glancing at the two girls. "What's wrong?!" He asked worriedly, hearing Sam's scream. Just then another small knock on the door cut off his thoughts.

"Door." Sam replied quietly, smiling at him.

"Geeze! You could have given me a heart attack!" Spencer laughed as he walked over and unlatched the lock. He opened the door to reveal none other than... "Freddo!" Spencer smiled.

* * *

**Freddie's back! But it looks as though the pain in Sam's abdomen is getting worse.... **


	53. Recap for Freddie

**Before I start, I just have a few more responses to say here since I can't send a direct reply to a few of my reviewers! =)**

**Roseheart-I just wanted to tell you that I don't mind responding to my reviewers inquiries! Nor did I mind having to type out the explanation for Sam's characterization! I like when people are curious enough about my writing to ask questions, and I like describing how my thought process works so you can better understand the story! So, that was no problem! ^_^**

**iCarlyFanFreek825-And as for your question about my other story, it really is too hard to tell you when I will get another chapter up. You see, this story has been a lot easier for me to write (as it deals with emotions and stuff that I can try and figure out) but my other story is based on humor and witty jokes, so writing chapters for iSwitch Bodies is a bit harder as it takes me time to figure out the funny stuff! You see, I write my stories as I go (I don't really plan anything lol...) so I have no clue when an idea will hit me! So sorry that I can't really give you a direct answer about that!**

* * *

"WHAT? WHAT?!" Spencer bolted out of his room and looked around the living room before glancing at the two girls. "What's wrong?!" He asked worriedly, hearing Sam's scream. Just then another small knock on the door cut off his thoughts.

"Door." Sam replied quietly, smiling at him.

"Geeze! You could have given me a heart attack!" Spencer laughed as he walked over and unlatched the lock. He opened the door to reveal none other than... "Freddo!" Spencer smiled.

"Hey Spencer!" Freddie greeted him. The boy was dressed up in a blue and white striped shirt and had on a pair of jeans, making him the only one who was dressed as everyone else was still in their pajamas. He held his lap top casually underneath one arm. "How's Sam?"

"She died." A voice called out from behind Spencer.

"Huh? WHAT?!" Freddie quickly pushed past the man to see who would say such an awful thing. Unsurprisingly he found Sam lying on the couch smirking up at him.

"You're sick, you know that?" The boy exclaimed as he walked into the apartment. Spencer turned around and shut the door behind him.

"Yeah I know! Why do you think I had to go the to hospital?" Sam retaliated.

"Not when I meant." Freddie huffed. "So really, how are you doing?" He made his way over to the side of the couch.

"Eh...not really much to say. I mean, I still feel like I've continuously gotten off a roller coaster, but I can eat so...whatever." Sam shrugged, still laying down. "Although the room does feel like it's 100 degrees..." She added, realizing that despite wearing a t-shirt and shorts, she was sweating. While her mind felt drastically better, her body was still ill. And the pain wasn't helping the situation either.

"Oh yeah, I meant to check on that!" Spencer cut in as he walked over towards the kids.

"Check on what?" Freddie asked curiously.

"Sam has a small fever."

"Oh...really?" Freddie looked back at her sympathetically.

"It's not so bad." Sam replied, noticing his worry. "I'm a little hot, so what?" She yawned. If anything, the pain in her abdomen was the worst thing she was experiencing right now and was currently taking her mind off of any other symptoms of being sick for the time being.

"I'm going to go get the thermometer again." Spencer stated as he walked through the small hallway and disappeared. Sam let out a small sigh and closed her eyes. Being sick was such a hassle.

"Hey.." Freddie asked gently as he set his lap top down on the table. Sam opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Want some ice or something? Since I'm up?"

"Uh...sure." Sam replied.

"I'll be right back." Freddie stated as he walked over to the kitchen. He returned shortly after putting a bunch of ice cubes in a sandwich bag. "Here you go.." Freddie reached over and handed the blond girl the ice bag.

"Thanks Fredward." Sam replied, closing her eyes and putting it against her forehead and eyes._ 'Man that feels good..' _She thought. Freddie smiled down at her before glancing up at Carly. The two looked at each other for a moment before letting off a chuckle.

"Hello." Freddie smiled.

"Hi." Carly added, finally giving each other their hellos. "Why don't you pull up a seat?"

"Oh, you're allowing me to sit with you now?" Freddie smirked, remembering their tussle in the living room yesterday.

"Yes, only there's no room on the couch this time." Carly laughed. "For real."

"True." Freddie walked over towards his chair to sit down but noticed it was occupied. Frothy was currently laying down in a small ball, but looked up once he noticed someone near him. The cat began to growl softly. "Looks like there's no room here either." Freddie sighed. Sam gently picked up her ice bag and glanced over at him.

"C'mere Benson.." Sam stated softly but firmly.

"Huh?" Freddie walked back over to the right side of the couch. "What do you..?" He was cut off as he noticed that she bent her legs and slid her feet out of the way. It was obvious she made room for him.

"Uh..." Freddie stated hesitantly as he sat down on the couch slowly. He wasn't sure if this was going to be some kind of prank, but either way he decided to chance it.

"Well imagine that!" Freddie smiled, looking over at Carly. "Sam lets me onto the couch unlike you." He smirked at the girl who had banned him from sitting on it last night.

"Oh get over it." Carly chuckled.

"Still, it's kind of a shock to have Sam be the nice one for once." Freddie replied as he and Carly chuckled. Sam gave a small sigh, feeling too tired to laugh, and gently rested her legs back down and over top of Freddie's lap. The boy's laughter abruptly stopped as he realized what she did. Sam Puckett actually rested her legs on top of his. The girl who vowed to make sure she and Freddie had as little contact as humanly possible. He glanced over at her and realized her eyes were closed. He wasn't sure if she was too foggy to realize what she did, or that she was aware of it but ultimately didn't care. Either way, Freddie made no attempt to move her legs off him and decided to let her relax however she wanted. Still, he was pretty unsure of this, and looked over at Carly who shrugged, not understanding either. Freddie then thought for a moment. "Are you going to kick me or something?" The boy blurted out, realizing Sam would never willingly lay against him like this. It surely had to be a prank.

"No.." Sam moaned, opening her eyes and putting the ice bag back against her forehead. "You just needed a seat, and well, I could use a footrest. No big deal." She replied, closing her eyes. Freddie couldn't help but smile at the fact that she called him a footrest. At least THAT seemed pretty Sammish of her to do.

Meanwhile, Sam let out a soft sigh. She wasn't too sick to notice that her friends were curious about her actions, but she _was_ too sick to care about it. The pain in her abdomen continued to throb, and that combined along with her fever had made her thoroughly exhausted. She was too tired to really care about what Freddie thought of her making room on the couch for him. The truth was that she felt guilty he didn't have a place to sit, and instead of making him drag over a hard kitchen chair, she decided it wouldn't be too bad to let him sit with them. _'I can just blame it on the sickness anyway..' _Sam thought.

"Ok, let's check up on that fever." Spencer stated as he trotted back into the room, thermometer in hand. "Sam, could you sit up for me just for one sec?" Spencer asked, standing by the couch. He watched as she opened her eyes and looked up at him tiredly.

"No.." She replied quietly. Even though it sounded like she was just being lazy, Sam realized she may not have the strength to sit up. Her stomach felt like it was ripping apart just by breathing, and she feared that if she attempted to move, the pain would be too excruciating for her to handle. As long as she stayed lying motionless on the couch, she could bare with the aches.

"Oh.." Spencer replied awkwardly. "Um here then.." He bent over and slipped the thermometer under her tongue as she stayed lying down. "There we go." He stood back up and glanced at his watch. Sam closed her eyes while her friends remained silent as Spencer calculated the time on his watch. "Ok, time's up!" He reached down once more and pulled the device out of his patient's mouth. Sam just kept her eyes closed. "Hmm.." Spencer read the numbers off.

"Well?" Freddie asked curiously.

"99.1" Spencer replied.

"Um what's that mean?" The boy wondered.

"I think her fever went down.." Spencer added. "Her last temperature was..." He stopped for a moment to try and recall what it was before.

"99.2" Carly answered for him, having remembered that detail herself.

"Right, thanks kiddo." He smiled at his sister. He then glanced back down at his thermometer. "It's a_ bit of _progress I guess.."

"Well at least it didn't go any higher, right?" Freddie offered.

"True." Spencer smiled. He looked back down at Sam who still had her eyes closed. It looked as though she was falling asleep. "Ok, I'm going to go wash this. You guys need anything?"

"Nope." Freddie replied as Carly shook her head.

"Alright." Spencer smiled one last time until he turned around and walked back out of the room.

"So...." Freddie looked over at Carly. "How was it during the night? I mean, did everything go ok?"

"Yeah, for the most part." Carly glanced down at her friend. "Right Sam?" The blond girl didn't respond.

"Did she fall asleep?" Freddie looked over at her curiously.

"I think so.." Carly added, realizing her friend was breathing deeply and softly.

"Wow...that was a lot quicker than at the hospital! We didn't even have to put up a documentary of photosynthesis on TV." The boy laughed.

"Yeah, you're right." Carly chuckled. "Luckily Sam has been falling asleep a lot easier here."

"That's good." Freddie added. "Means she's more comfortable."

"Yup!" Carly agreed. There was a period of silence between the two friends before Freddie decided to speak up.

"So..." He started to say.

"TV?" Carly asked.

"TV." he nodded. The two laughed quietly as they switched over to the tv guide and looked for another program to watch as their friend slept on them.

* * *

Another hour had passed and the gang was still watching TV. Spencer was currently sitting in the kitchen, once again scrolling through various sites on the computer. Sam was still completely out. Because of her injury, the blond girl had to remain sleeping on her back and she was now snoring quietly with her head tilted to the left against Carly's lap. During this time, Freddie had found enough courage to rest his arms over top of Sam's legs as the trio sat against the couch. The two kids continued to watch TV until Freddie glanced over at Sam.

"Uh Carly?"

"Yeah?" The brunette girl asked quietly, keeping her voice down.

"I think Sam's starting to drool on you." He whispered, pointing over to the sick girl's cheek.

Huh?" Carly looked down and saw the wet spot gathering under her friend's mouth. "Oh yeah.." She let out a small laugh. "She's kind of been doing that for ten minutes now. I don't really mind though. I can always wash my pajamas right?"

"Right." Freddie chuckled.

"Hey.." Spencer spoke up from behind the couch, having been listening to the kid's conversation. "I have a solution."

"Solution?" Freddie asked as he watched Spencer get up off his seat and walk over to a laundry basket. The man rifled through the various bits of clothing until he pulled out a yellow piece of fabric.

"Sham-pow!" Spencer whispered out excitedly as he walked over to the couch. Carly couldn't help but smile.

"Sham-pow is always your solution.." She laughed.

"That's because Sham-pow always _is _the solution!" Spencer stated proudly as he walked over to the left side of the couch and bent down. He slowly put his hand underneath Sam's cheek and lifted her head up gently before settling the fabric underneath her. Making sure not to wake her, he placed her head back down softly on her friend's lap. Satisfied, Spencer stood up. "See?" He smiled proudly.

"Nice job." Freddie added.

"Thank you! That thing will soak up a ton of liquid." Spencer smiled.

"Good, because Sam drools like a Saint Bernard when she's sleeping." Carly laughed. The three let off a chuckle once more as Spencer walked back over to the computer and sat down.

"So Carly?" Freddie asked as she looked up at him. "How's Sam? I mean, like for real? When I asked her before, she pretty much gave me the brush off."

"Oh, well, she's doing alright. There were a few problems during the night though." Carly added.

"Like what?"

"She got really sick and puked in my room." Carly explained.

"Oh!" Freddie's eyebrows went up.

"Don't worry, Sham-pow took care of that too." Carly laughed as Freddie smiled. "But still, Sam said she was feeling really dizzy when she woke up, which made her get sick."

"Just like at the hospital?" Freddie asked as Carly nodded. "Yeah, that happened again while you and Spencer were out getting stuff from her house. She woke up dizzy, but I think I calmed her down before she could get sick."

"Calmed her down?" Carly asked curiously.

"Yeah, I held her hand and stuff, and it seemed to work."

"Oh.." Carly replied, pondering what Freddie said. She wondered if she hadn't left Sam alone in her room, that she might have been able to help her friend out during that time. Sam did say she had freaked out, and Carly hoped it wasn't because her friend was alone. Deciding to put that thought aside, Carly looked back up at Freddie. "And after she got sick in my room, we went downstairs and she went to sleep again. But when she woke up, Spencer and I noticed she had a fever. She looked really ill.." Carly stated, looking down at her friend who continued to sleep and breath softly.

"Oh wow, that stinks.." Freddie murmured.

"Yeah, but after taking a shower she seemed to be in a better mood." Carly paused, making sure not to tell Freddie about what happened during the shower. Sam was embarrassed about it, and Carly respected her friend wanting to keep it between them. "....So I guess it balanced out. She still has the fever, but at least she isn't as depressed as before." Carly smiled over at Freddie, remembering how unemotional her best friend was acting earlier that morning.

"That's good." Freddie smiled. "Sounds like she had a pretty suckish night though."

"Yeah.." Carly added. "I hope the next one goes better for her."

* * *

More time had passed and it was now 9:30 am. Spencer had gone back into his room while the kids remained on the couch faithfully for their sick friend. Their muscles were starting to get bunched up, but they didn't move an inch so Sam could sleep, as both Carly and Freddie were Sam's temporary bed. As the two kids kept their eyes glued to the tv, Sam let out a soft moan. Carly looked down at her as the sick girl furrowed her eyebrows.

"She waking up?" Freddie asked curiously as Carly nodded her head.

"I think so."

"Good, maybe now I can stretch my back." Freddie laughed.

"Same." Carly added with a chuckle. They looked down as Sam slowly tilted her head to the side.

"Unh...." She moaned, feeling some discomfort. Although she wasn't really awake yet, her body was starting to shake off the dead sleep. Unknowingly the girl began to feel more and more pain in her stomach with each second. "Uh...no..er..." Sam mumbled, still a bit out of it as she wasn't aware of anything other than some pain.

"Hey Sam?" Carly asked, seeing that her friend was having a bit of a hard time waking up.

"No...uh..." Sam's eyebrows scrunched up in pain. The sharp jabs was getting more intense as her body continued to wake up. The sick girl unknowingly began to move her arms and legs around slowly in discomfort. Freddie and Carly watched curiously, not realizing she was in pain as she tried to wake up.

"Hey, are you alrig..?" Freddie started to ask before he was cut off. Unfortunately he wasn't able to finish his question as Sam jolted her body harshly, accidentally giving her him a good swift kick to the stomach. "OW!" Freddie yelped in pain, hunching over Sam's legs. He looked back at her wide eyed before quickly scooting off the couch and jumping up in defense, pointing at her. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! YOU DID SET ME UP FOR A PRANK!" He yelled at the girl accusingly. Sam had no idea what was going on as she heard someone yelling, but she had to grit her teeth once more as the pain continued to erupt in her stomach. Carly looked down as her friend let off another soft moan.

"Freddie, I don't think she's playing aroun.." Carly started to say worriedly before she was the one to be cut off. Sam once again jerked her body in pain as her elbow snapped up and caught Carly's side in a harsh impact. "OW!" The brunette girl yelped out. This caused Freddie's anger to disappear completely as he stared at the two girls on the couch. There was no way Sam could be playing a prank on him if she hit Carly as well. It was obvious something was wrong.

"Sam chkk.." Carly coughed, wheezing as she held her side, trying to get her breath back. "What's the m-matter?!" Sam didn't respond, she only continued to twist and turn, giving off a few moans. Carly took a deep breath and attempted once more to try and wake her friend. "Sam!" She called out gently as she reached down to shake her friend's shoulder. She watched as the blond girl finally opened her eyes.

"W-what?" Sam asked weakly looking up at the ceiling before glancing towards Carly. As she was about to open her mouth to ask what happened, she had to clamp it shut instead as she felt extreme pain jolt from her stomach.

"What's wrong?!" Carly asked again, starting to get scared.

"I-It hurts!"

* * *

**Uh oh...looks like the Vicodin finally wore off.... =o**

**(Also, I want to add a little side note here. I wrote a part of this story that I eventually switched around, so I have a sort of 'deleted scene' if you will. I wrote out one of these parts differently at first, but then I realized I didn't like the idea, so I scrapped some scenes and made it different. If enough people are curious, I will post the original scene when I finish the story, like an alternative chapter or something. :P)  
**


	54. Pain

"W-what?" Sam asked weakly looking up at the ceiling before glancing towards Carly. As she was about to open her mouth to ask what happened, she had to clamp it shut instead as she felt extreme pain jolt from her stomach.

"What's wrong?!" Carly asked again, starting to get scared.

"I-It hurts!" Sam moaned, shutting her eyes tight as she felt tears form in the corner of them. Carly watched her friend grit her teeth as she tried to shuffle around into a more comfortable position.

"What do we do?" Freddie asked worriedly as he walked back over to the side of the couch and stood by Sam's feet.

"Um, get Spencer!" Carly stated as their friend continued to moan. Once again, the sick girl accidentally let one of her legs jerk a little too fast in pain, and managed to kick Freddie again. This time he wasn't as fortunate to get it in the stomach, but a bit....lower.

"AHHHH!" Freddie screamed as Sam's kick caught him in an area where one should never be placed on a boy. He instantly fell down to the ground in a crumpled heap, holding his hands between his legs.

"Freddie?! Are you ok?" Carly asked worriedly to him, having to take care of Sam and make sure he was ok at the same time.

"My god.." His voice squeaked, three octaves higher, as he continued to lay on the floor in pain.

Sam, who had no clue what she did to the poor boy, continued to moan painfully with her eyes shut tight. Carly figured Freddie could recover on his own....eventually, and decided to turn her full attention back to her best friend.

"Sam, calm down...please.." Carly tried to talk to her before the blond girl once again jerked her arm up. Luckily this time Carly was wise to the accidental sneak attacks and grabbed Sam's wrist before she could punch again. When Sam felt something grab her arm, she opened her eyes and squinted through the tears to see what it was. Her vision was foggy, but she could tell it was her best friend.

"Carlyyyy...." Sam moaned, shutting her eyes once more. "It hurts...." She choked back a few sobs. Carly looked down at the girl writhing in pain on her lap and realized Freddie didn't get back the ability to walk yet as he was still laying on the floor.

"SPENCER!" The brunette girl called out. As she yelled for her brother, Carly felt Sam tug her arm away from her grasp, and thrash in a haze of pain and confusion. She then saw her friend's elbow jerk up once more, but unfortunately Carly wasn't quick enough to catch it this time as her best friend nailed her right in the ribs with a hurtful jab. "Urk!" Carly's breath hitched in her lungs as the air was once again knocked out of her.

By now, Spencer had come running into the room and had to stop for a moment at what he saw. First he noticed that Freddie was laying on the ground, whimpering in discomfort as he held his hands between his legs. The man then glanced over to the couch and realized Carly was coughing with tears in her eyes as Sam continued to moan and sob, jerking slightly. "What the heck is going on?!" He exclaimed, wondering how all three children had gotten injured.

"I-It's Sam.." Carly spoke breathlessly, her ribs still throbbing a bit in pain, but nowhere near the extreme level Sam's stomach was.

"Sam?" Spencer asked worriedly.

"Yeah.." Freddie huffed from his position on the floor, his voice still a bit squeaky from the pain. "She woke up and started thrashing around in discomfort." The boy tried to explain as he weakly rolled onto his knees and stood up slowly in a hunched over position. His own 'injury' was still hurting as well.

By now, Carly watched on worriedly as Sam started full on crying, pausing every few moments to choke and sob. The tears streamed from the corners of her eyes and onto her best friend's lap. The pain was unbearable now, and her incision felt like hot lava was seeping through it.

"Carly, you gave her the last dose of Vicodin before right?!" Spencer asked worriedly as his sister nodded.

"Yes I did."

"And it was only one pill right?" Spencer made sure to check.

"Yes." Carly answered.

"Ok, I'm giving her another one." Spencer turned around towards Freddie. "Can you get the pill bottle from the counter along with a glass of water."

"Sure." Freddie squeaked, as he walked over hunched towards the kitchen. It would have been funny to watch him waddle like a penguin if the situation was different, but unfortunately it wasn't.

During this, Spencer walked towards the couch. "Sam, you're going to have to sit up." He stated gently, noticing she was still laying down and couldn't properly swallow a pill in such a fashion.

"Ohh......" Sam moaned painfully as Spencer walked over to her side of the couch and sat down on top of the small table. "It hurts..." She mumbled, her eyes shut tight.

"I know...let's have you sit up...easy now.." Spencer stated as put his arm underneath her back and gently lifted her up off Carly's lap and turned her into a sitting position so she faced him.

"Noo....." Sam moaned softly as she was moved by Spencer. She sat into the back of the couch, wishing the pain would go away.

"It's alright.." Carly replied quietly, patting her friend on the leg, wishing she could comfort her. Freddie came back from the kitchen with the supplies and handed them over to Spencer.

"Thanks." Spencer replied quietly as he took the Vicodin pills from the boy and set the glass of water on the table. "Sam, you have to take another one of these." He explained gently, popping open the medicine bottle and retrieving a small pill. The three friends watched as Sam opened her eyes and glanced at the pill. After staring at it for a moment, she closed her eyes back up and began to cry harder.

_'I don't want to take that Vicodin..'_ She thought quickly in her head remembering how messed up it made her feel. _'....but I can't bear with this pain.' _

"C'mon, you have to swallow this." Spencer stated, holding up the pill in one hand.

"Swallow....pill...?" Sam spoke through gritted teeth as she glanced back at what Spencer was holding up. The poor girl realized she had made a tremendous mistake when she spat out the Vicodin before, and knew she was going to have to take it this time. Still, she was in too much agony to respond properly.

"Yeah, it'll help take away the pain....remember?" He stated quietly. Sam just shut her eyes and continued to sob. Because of the situation, she was emotionally distraught and couldn't hold back her tears. Spencer saw that she wasn't making any attempt to pick up the Vicodin herself as she was too busy holding her arms around her stomach. He realized he was going to have to feed it to her himself. "C'mon..you'll feel better if you do." He stated gently. Sam continued to sob as she looked at him directly in the eyes with her own tearful ones. "Easy.." Spencer replied as he noticed the girl was breathing heavily. "You can't choke on this." He added, realizing she could easily suck the pill into her airway by mistake if she continued to sob. Sam listened to him and took in a deep breath before letting it out, calming herself down as best as she could.

"O-ok.." She stuttered, signaling she was ready as she opened her mouth slightly. Spencer reached over and gently placed the small pill on her tongue.

"Here.." Carly added softly as she grabbed the glass of water from the table and tilted it towards her friend's mouth. Sam slowly swallowed down the pill along with some water. As soon as the glass was empty, Carly lowered it down and away from her best friend, settling it back down on the table. Sam gave off a small cough as she wiped off her mouth with the back of her hand.

"It still hurts.." She cried softly.

"You have to wait for it to kick in. Just, try to relax.." Spencer added sadly, wishing he could do more to help.

"I want it to work now.." Sam sniffled. If she knew the pain was going to be this bad, she would have never spat out the pill before.

"It's alright.." Carly replied gently as she wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder. Sam leaned into the gesture and rested her head on Carly's shoulder.

"Hurts...." Sam moaned once more, closing her eyes.

"I know...I know.." Carly patted her friend comfortingly as she kept her arms around her.

"I'm going to go and call the doctor now." Spencer stated firmly as he stood up. "If she's in this much pain even though she took a painkiller, something could be seriously wrong." As soon as he said that and started to walk away, Sam opened her eyes back up. She realized she had to tell him the truth about the skipped dose.

"No...wait!" Sam called out, before instantly regretting it. The pain flared up once more as she snapped her head back down into Carly's shoulder, burying her face from the world as she started to choke.

"Whoa, easy now.." Carly replied softly, patting Sam's back to try and calm her down.

"Crap!" Sam moaned, her voice muffled. It was hard to talk, but she knew she had to tell Spencer the truth before he picked up the phone. "Don't call doctor.." She mumbled.

"What?" Spencer asked as he walked back to the couch.

"My f-f-fault...it's m-my fault.." Sam moaned quietly. Her voice came out muffled as she sobbed while saying it.

"What did she say?" Spencer asked, not having heard her properly.

"I don't know!" Carly honestly replied. It was hard to figure out what Sam was saying as her face was wedged into her best friend's shoulder as she sobbed.

"I think she said it's her fault." Freddie added as he walked over to the couch and sat down next to the two girls. "Sam, what do you mean it's your fault?"

"The pill, I didn't take the pill..." She moaned in response.

"What are you talking about?" Spencer asked as he walked back over to the front of the couch.

Sam took a deep, painful breath. "When Carly gave me the pill...hours ago....I spit it back out...."

"What?!" Spencer's voice got drastically serious. Sam noticed the change of tone in his voice and reluctantly pulled her head from Carly's shoulder to look at him. "You're telling me you spit out one of the pills we gave you?" His face was stern. The only time Sam had ever seen him look this mad was when they went to the MMA fight without permission. She nodded her head weakly in response.

"Wait, so you skipped the pill we gave you with the toast?" Carly asked, remembering that was the only time Sam had really been left alone after taking one.

"Yes.." She replied shamefully.

"Dang it Sam! You can't do this!" Spencer yelled at her. The blond girl's eyes widened as she looked over at him, never having seen him yell this harshly, even at Carly. "How could you be so irresponsible?! This kind of stuff is dangerous!" He looked at her angrily for a second until he noticed her eyes began to well up with more tears. Sam knew Spencer was mad at her, which he had a right to be, but getting yelled at combined along with the pain was just too much to handle at the moment.

"I'm s-sorry!" She cried out, turning back around towards Carly and hiding her face, sobbing loudly.

Spencer's expression immediately softened after noticing how distressed the girl was. While it was true that he was mad at Sam for making that decision on her own, as he was greatly concerned about her health and knew something like that could be harmful to her recovery, he also realized that she was in a weakened state and couldn't be yelled at right now. The only thing it'd accomplish would be upsetting her further, which was the last thing someone in pain needed. _'This is not the time..' _Spencer thought to himself before taking a deep breath. "Ok Sam, just...calm down." He replied softly, trying to let her know she was off the hook for the time being. "It's alright, just relax. The painkiller will work soon, ok?" He bent down and lightly placed his hand against her back to give her a few comforting pats, to show her he wasn't mad.

"Ok.." Sam sniffed, still hiding her face in her best friend's shoulder. She couldn't help but let off a few more moans. Carly looked down at her friend sympathetically, keeping her arms around her, hoping it would alleviate _any_ type of pain.

"Alright.." Spencer sighed as he stood up and looked at the two girls. He ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly. "Look, I'm going to go over to Mrs. Benson and see if there's any consequence to skipping a painkiller. You guys stay put, I'll be right back." He stated as he made his way over to the door.

"Alright." Carly responded back to her brother, before looking down as Sam continued to let off a few weak sobs. "Hey Freddie?" She glanced over at the boy who had been worriedly watching from the side.

"Yes?"

"Could you check something on your lap top for me?"

"Sure." He replied as he reached over to the table and picked it up. He sat back down on the couch and settled the device on his lap. The sick girl let out another moan as she sniffled back a few more sobs into Carly's shoulder. Freddie glanced over at her and gently patted his hand against her back. He felt her cough a few times and moan again.

"Shhh...it's ok.." Carly softly replied, patting her friend on the head, trying to comfort her.

Freddie looked at Sam sympathetically once more before he removed his hand from her back and glanced down at his lap top. He then turned it on. "What do you want me to check?" He looked up at Carly.

"Can you check to see how long it takes for a pill of Vicodin to kick in?"

"Sure." Freddie replied as he started typing along his keyboard to find a few sites.

"This hurts.." Sam moaned quietly once more as Carly continued to hold onto her.

"It's ok Sam...it'll pass..." She whispered gently as she rested her chin lightly on top of her friend's head.

"When........" Sam mumbled as she found enough strength to bring her arms up and wrap them around Carly. The two girls stayed in the embrace as Freddie finally found a site.

"Ok...according to this Vicodin kicks in in roughly..." He squinted his eyes as he read. "...20-30 minutes." He glanced over at Carly with a worried look. They both knew that the next half hour was going to be a rough one for their friend.

* * *

**Ok, yeah, I'm pretty much torturing Sam here, but how else can I get those good friendship moments in if she's not sick or in pain? Don't worry though, she'll get better...eventually. :P**

**(Also, since a few reviewers told me they're curious about the original scene, I'll give you one detail on how I switched it around. The main difference was that _Sam _wasn't the one who messed up the pills, it was _Spencer_. Now what could have happened? I'll just let you guys think about that one as I continue on with the story. :P I'll post that scene at the end so it won't confuse you guys haha.)**


	55. Sam Puckett: World Champion MMA Fighter

**I just had to take the time up here to say one thing...**

**AH! I can't wait for iThink They Kissed! Only eleven more hours here! I need to go take a long nap or something lol! I hope it's as good as it looks! =D Ok, now that my stupid fangirl squealing is done (figuratively of course...I never squeal out loud ;D) Onto the story!**

* * *

"It's ok Sam...it'll pass..." Carly whispered gently as she rested her chin lightly on top of her friend's head.

"When........" Sam mumbled as she found enough strength to bring her arms up and wrap them around Carly. The two girls stayed in the embrace as Freddie finally found a site.

"Ok...according to this Vicodin kicks in in roughly..." He squinted his eyes as he read. "...20-30 minutes." He glanced over at Carly with a worried look. They both knew that the next half hour was going to be a rough one for their friend.

_'Dang it, it's only been two minutes..' _Carly thought as she looked down at her best friend. "Sam did you hear that..?"

"Thirty m-minutes..." Sam's muffled voice repeated weakly. "S-sucks..."

"It's alright, Freddie and I are going to stay with you the entire time. Just try and stay calm."

"Kay..." Sam moaned softly, letting out a few more sobs. Carly took a deep breath and continued to pat her friend's back as the sick girl laid against her. Freddie looked over at his two friends sitting next to him and sighed.

_'Man, even Sam doesn't deserve this.....At least when she beats me up, it's a quick pain.'_ Freddie looked down at his lap top and thought of an idea as his fingers started to scurry over the keyboard. As he pulled up a few sites, the two kids couldn't help but feel bad for their friend as she continued to moan in pain. Freddie glanced over at Sam, but couldn't see her face as her back was turned towards him as she continued to hug Carly. With another sad sigh he turned back to his lap top and continued to read the sites he had found.

_'Sam...' _Carly thought sadly as her best friend's tears continued to stain her shirt. _'Why couldn't you have just taken the pill...' _She hated seeing her best friend in this much pain, but figured there was nothing else she could do for her until the Vicodin kicked in. That was, until she noticed Freddie pull his lap top off of him and set it down on the table. She watched as he stood up and quickly made his way over to the kitchen. "Freddie? Where are you..?"

"Just, hold on for a second!" The boy answered as Carly watched him curiously go towards the fridge. She continued to watch him open the door until Sam started to choke once more. Snapping her head back to her friend, Carly looked back down at her.

"Easy, take it easy. It's ok."

"Oh my god..." Sam moaned, her voice muffled. She had no idea anything could feel this bad.

Meanwhile, Freddie continued his task in the refrigerator. He pulled out a bunch of ice cubes and placed them into another sandwich bag as he did before for Sam's fever. After grabbing a small clean hand towel and wrapping the bag up in it, he walked back over to the couch. Carly watched as he set the stuff down on the table.

"Freddie, what is that?" Carly asked.

"It's a bag of ice. I read about some non-medicinal stuff that helps control pain. I'm not sure how well it will work until the Vicodin kicks in, but what else can we do?"

"True.." Carly sighed as she looked back down at Sam, who kept whimpering.

"Alright, now I'm going to need her to lay down." Freddie instructed as he sat down on the small table facing the girls.

"What? Is it really smart to move her?!" Carly asked worriedly.

"She's sitting up right now, so that may be putting pressure on her incision. Anyways, just trust me...." Freddie looked over at the brunette girl with a genuine face.

"Alright..." She replied before looking down at Sam. "Did you hear that? Freddie wants you to lay down..." Carly stated gently before Sam shook her head unwillingly in her best friend's shoulder.

"No!" She coughed out.

"Sam, listen to me! If you want the pain to ease up, just do as I tell you!" Freddie added softly with a forceful tone. Sam reluctantly pulled her head from Carly's shoulder to glance at him. She had no idea he could be this commanding. Either way, she knew he was trying to help, and since she didn't have much of a choice at the moment, the poor girl had to give in.

"F-fine.." She clamped her eyes shut and moaned.

"Alright good.." Freddie looked over at the left side of the couch and noticed a pillow next to Carly. He reached over and grabbed it before sitting back down on the table. "Now before you move, we're going to splint your stomach." He explained, puffing up the pillow.

"Excuse me?!" Sam managed to choke out, before grimacing once more. Splint sounded like a painful word.

"Again, just listen to me.." Freddie sighed. Sam just closed her eyes and didn't respond. The boy took this as an act of obedience from her.

"How do we splint her stomach?" Carly asked curiously. She had to agree with Sam that it sounded somewhat painful.

"Like this.." Freddie reached over and gently pulled one of Sam's arms away from Carly as he broke off their hug and made him face her. She let out a soft moan from the action, but complied. Freddie then took the pillow and placed it over her stomach. "Now Sam, I want you to lay down, slowly.."

"Can't move..." She mumbled tiredly.

"Just for this second, please." Freddie replied as he looked over at Carly. "Help me set her down."

"Alright." Carly replied as she managed to get one of her arms behind her friend's back as the two kids started to lower their friend down to the left side of the couch. During this, Freddie put his hand on the pillow, keeping it on top of Sam's stomach, all the while applying a bit of pressure to it as the two friends slowly laid the girl down. Sam let out a few moans of discomfort, but realized something on her stomach was dulling the aches just a bit. She was still in extreme pain, but any sort of relief was welcome. As she was finally settled down once more on Carly's lap, using her friend as a pillow, Freddie stood up and reached down and lifted Sam's feet off the floor and gently repositioned them on top of the right side of the couch. The blond girl was now laying down on her back once more with the pillow on her stomach. She cracked open one eye and looked up at Freddie.

"Was that splinting?" She asked weakly.

"Yes it was." He smiled. "Now if you have to move or feel like you have to cough, put this pillow back on your stomach and apply some pressure to it."

"Kay..." Sam replied, closing her eyes with a sigh. She still couldn't help from letting off the occasional moan. Freddie's pillow worked a bit, but it was not a miracle solution. Her stomach continued to ache with her heart beart, and the pain was tiring.

"Ok, now I have another thing to try." Freddie stated as he turned around and grabbed the small bag of ice from the table and sat back down. He then reached over towards Sam and gently picked the pillow up off of her.

"Give me back my pillow.." She cried weakly, not understanding why he took it away from her right after telling her how to use it.

"Sorry! I'll give it back after." Freddie replied before looking over at Carly. "Um here." He handed her the ice bag.

"Is it for the fever?" Carly asked, not sure what his intentions were with it.

"No, it's to put on her incision. I figured Sam would rather have you do it." Freddie replied, knowing it might be awkward for his friend if he randomly reached over and started to pull up her shirt.

"Oh, alright." Carly responded as she gently reached over her sick friend's body and softly pulled up the shirt a bit to reveal the bandaged incision. By now, Sam had her eyes closed and didn't care what her friends were doing to her at this point. She gave them full control as she was too tired to ask questions. She just wanted the pain to stop.

"Now gently place the ice bag on top of it." Freddie instructed as Carly followed his directions. As soon as the toweled bag made contact with Sam's skin, she let off a slight shiver.

"What..?" She weakly opened her eyes to finally look at what her friends were doing to her.

"It's alright, we just put an ice bag on your wound, ok?" Carly explained as she looked down at her friend in her lap.

"O-ok.." Sam sniffled, as she realized the cool temperature started to feel good. Not only was her stomach hurting, but it felt like it was on fire, and the ice helped calm that part of the awful sensations. But still, as much as these little things helped, she was still in too much pain to even consider relaxing. Once again she let off another weak moan. "This still hurts.." She cried out.

"Ok..." Freddie sighed, having done all the physical solutions he read on the internet. Now it was time to try the other solution he read about.

* * *

Meanwhile, Spencer had left his apartment and was now standing at Freddie's door. After knocking a few times, he heard the lock unlatch as Mrs. Benson opened the door.

"Oh hello, Spencer." She greeted him cheerfully. "How is Samantha doing?"

"Um well.." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "That's kind of what I came here for."

"Why, anything wrong?"

"Yeah..She spat out one of her Vicodin pills this morning when Carly and I wasn't looking, and I need to know if anything harmful can come from that." He explained.

"Wait, so you're telling me she skipped a dose of her painkillers?" Mrs. Benson wanted to clarify.

"Yes." Spencer nodded.

"Oh." The woman replied. "Then that's no problem. As long as the pain is gone, she doesn't have to continue taking the pills for..."

"Uh, the pain isn't gone exactly." Spencer added. "After she spit out the pill, she went to sleep and woke up in pain. A lot of it."

"Oh, I see.." Mrs. Benson replied.

"So, what I need to know is, can that hurt her? I mean, without her medicine, could she have messed up something inside there?"

"Oh Spencer.." Mrs. Benson spoke calmly. "While it is good to keep her up on the painkillers, there is no actual harm in skipping a dose."

"There isn't?" Spencer asked curiously.

"No." Mrs. Benson shook her head. "You see, sometimes painkillers are prescribed to patients for their benefit, such as after an appendectomy. Since Samantha's prescription is on an "as needed" basis, It won't cause her body any harm if she skips a dose."

"It won't?" Spencer wanted to make sure.

"No." Mrs. Benson shook her head. "Although there could be complications if a patient refuses to take their painkillers but are in too much pain to actually move. That's when health problems could arise. Since Samantha is still in pain, it's crucial for her to continue taking the painkillers so she can avoid future problems. Did you give her another dose for her current pain?"

"Yes we did." Spencer replied as he nodded his head. "So you're saying that even though Sam spit out one of her pills, she'll be alright?"

"Mhm." Mrs. Benson nodded her head. "I just wonder what could have possessed her to do such a thing, especially since she's still in pain."

"Me too.." Spencer mumbled, realizing he would have to confront his patient about that later. "Would it be alright if you came with me over to my apartment to check on her though? To make sure everything's ok?"

"Of course." Mrs. Benson smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Carly's apartment, the kids were still sitting with their sick friend. Freddie had another pain relieving technique he wanted to try out.

"Hey Sam?" He asked as he sat on the table facing her.

"What..?" She asked weakly, opening her eyes and sighing as she looked up at him.

"I want you to try something." Freddie stated.

"Can't move anymore...hurts too much.." Sam mumbled.

"No you don't have to move." He quickly assured her. "I just want you to picture something for me."

"P-picture?" She asked weakly, not moving a muscle.

"Yeah, like a thought in your head. Picture something." He explained gently.

"You're crazy.." Sam mumbled, letting off another sob as the sharp jolts in her stomach continued to aggravate her.

"Please, just bear with me." The boy stated once more.

"F-fine..." Sam sighed. So far the boy had done everything else right, so she figured she'd let him continue.

"Alright." Freddie replied. "Now like I said, I want you to picture something. We're going to try guided imagery."

"What..?" Sam asked tiredly, once again moaning.

"It's when you picture yourself somewhere else. It'll help take your mind off the pain."

"Oh." Carly responded. "That makes sense."

"Yup." Freddie smiled proudly at her. The two kids looked down once more as Sam cut back another weak sob.

"Nothing can take my mind off this.." She sighed, looking over at Freddie.

"Just...try. Now I want you to close your eyes." He instructed. The blond girl did as she was told. "Now try and picture yourself somewhere else."

"Like where..?" Sam asked weakly.

"Uh.." Freddie looked up at Carly who shrugged. His brow furrowed in thought for a moment as there was a silence between the three kids. When Sam realized no one was talking, she cracked open one eye and looked at Freddie.

"You suck at this.." She moaned.

"Sorry! I just need some time to think." He apologized. Sam sighed and closed her eyes once more, tilting her head to the side tiredly on Carly's lap. Freddie continued to glance around the room, trying to get an idea. Finally, one popped into his head. "I got it!" He explained happily. Sam didn't move a muscle as she continued to lay on the couch with her eyes closed. "Sam?" Freddie asked curiously, realizing she hadn't responded. He hoped that maybe she had fallen asleep.

"What?" She asked weakly, not moving an inch.

"Alright.." He took a deep breath. "Now I want to picture yourself at an MMA fight."

"Huh?" Sam asked quietly, tilting her head back over to glance at Freddie. Carly also cocked her eyebrow at the odd suggestion.

"Just listen to me. Now close your eyes back up." He replied as Sam sighed with a soft moan before re-closing her eyes. "Now picture that MMA fight."

"Fine." Sam sighed, sniffling a bit.

"There's a big sign hanging over the Seattle Super Center. People from all over the US have come to see this fight." Freddie explained, giving Sam an image of what was happening.

"What fight?" She asked quietly, keeping her eyes closed. She let out another small whimper as her incision continued to bother her.

"A fight that everyone has been waiting months for. Shelby Marx versus Sam Puckett."

"What?" Sam asked as she opened her eyes back up once she heard her name. The image quickly disappeared as she realized how much harsher the pain felt. "Ow.." She moaned.

"Keep your eyes closed!" Freddie instructed her. Sam sighed and closed them again. She struggled to get the picture of the Seattle Super Center in her head once again.

"Alright." Freddie sighed tiredly, realizing Sam was going to be a tough patient. "Now again, everyone has purchased tickets to see the exhibition match of the year. Shelby Marx versus Sam Puckett." Freddie continued to explain as Carly smiled. She realized what he was doing, and hoped this would work for their friend. "Now, picture yourself standing in the middle of the MMA cage."

"Cage..?" Sam asked weakly, trying to formulate the image in her head.

"Yup." Freddie replied. "The crowd is going wild. Cameras are flashing like crazy. The match is about to begin."

"With Carly..?" Sam asked weakly, remembering it was her best friend in the ring who had faced Shelby Marx.

"No, Carly, Spencer and I are all standing outside the cage, watching you."

"Me?"

"Yup. You have your gloves on, your mouth-guard in, and you're pumped and ready to fight. Shelby Marx is standing in the other corner of the cage. She looks at you, and she's mad." Freddie explained.

"Mad..?" Sam replied, keeping that mental image in her head.

"Yeah, she's out to kill." Freddie added as he glanced up at Carly. The two smiled at each other. Sam hadn't let out a moan in over a minute now.

"Why..?" Sam asked weakly.

"She wants to fight you, and she wants to fight hard. But are you going to let that happen?"

"No..." Sam responded weakly, whimpering a bit as she felt some pain.

"I said, are you going to let that happen?!" Freddie asked with a stronger tone, knowing he had to get back Sam's full attention once more, before she started focusing on her pain again.

"No." The girl stated firmly.

"Good." Freddie replied. "Because now Shelby is facing you and the bell just rang, starting the match. The crowd begins to go wild as you and her began scuffling across the floor, not taking your eyes off each other. The tension is thick as neither of you have thrown a punch yet."

Sam remained quiet, waiting for Freddie to describe more events.

"Shelby throws a punch but you dodge it."

"Good." Sam replied.

"Now your throw a punch but she dodges it."

"Eh.." Sam huffed in disappointment of herself. Carly smiled as she looked down at her friend laying on her lap with her eyes closed. It was obvious Freddie had transported Sam into this imaginary fight so well that her best friend actually felt bad about not getting a hit in.

"The clock is ticking, there's only a minute to go now." Freddie explained as Sam bit her lip, wondering if she could pull it off. "Shelby is feeling pretty worried right about now. You keep dodging her hits, and she's not sure if she can knock you out by the time the clock runs out."

"She won't." Sam stated firmly.

"But!" Freddie replied. "She does manage to throw a punch that grazes your cheek."

"What?!" Sam asked, caught off guard by this.

"Now your heart is beating faster as you realize there's a chance she may get another hit in. What do you do?"

"I-I don't know!" Sam replied, starting to feel nervous.

"Yes you do!" Freddie called back.

* * *

Meanwhile, during this time Spencer and Mrs. Benson finished their conversation and had walked across the small hallway and back over to his apartment door. As they opened it and walked in, they saw that Sam was once again laying on the couch with her head resting on Carly's lap. Freddie was sitting on the table facing the two girls as they seemed to be talking about something.

"Now what do you do?!" Freddie asked once more. Spencer and Mrs. Benson looked at each other curiously before looking back at the kids.

"I-I don't know....." Sam stuttered once more.

"Yes you do! You dodge to the left, fake her out, dodge to the right, and that's when you see it!

"See what?" Sam asked curiously.

"Your opening! You clench your fist close to your body as everything starts to feel as if it is going in slow motion. You feel yourself arch your elbow back as you continue to keep your eye on your opponent. Shelby has no clue she has left herself wide open, but you do, and with a small smirk, you start to move your fist towards her." Freddie stopped talking, pausing for dramatic effect. Sam stayed dead quiet, until she noticed he wasn't saying anything.

"And then what?!" She asked in a combination irritation and excitement.

"You land a punch directly in her face." Freddie smirked as the adults looked at them wide eyed, wondering what the heck they were talking about.

"I do?" Sam asked.

"Yes!" Freddie exclaimed as he picked up Sam's arm carefully from the couch cushion and balled her weak hand into a fist. He then gently pushed it against his own palm to imitate the act of punching something. "Shelby goes down hard, and stays down. The referee runs over and starts slapping the mat."

Sam stays quiet in excitement to see how the fight ends.

"One.....he counts." Freddie paused for another dramatic effect. "Two.....the clock is close to running out now, only one more second." Freddie spoke as Sam was on the edge of her seat....or couch to be more appropriate. "And..." Freddie once again paused.

"Spit it out Benson!" Sam yelled.

"THREE! The match is over! Sam Puckett has become the new champion of female professional MMA fighting!"

"Sweet!" Sam exclaimed as she saw and heard the crowd hoot and holler at her victory. Lights were flashing in the stadium as an announcer called out the amazing defeat of Shelby Marx by Sam Puckett. The sick girl smiled with her eyes closed as she laid on the couch in her best friend's quiet apartment, having just been crowned as the new champion of female MMA fighting.

* * *

**Freddie knows how to get things done. ;)**

**(PS-Is anyone besides me getting fed up with these errors? I can't post my chapters properly....bleh...)  
**


	56. Loopy

"THREE! The match is over! Sam Puckett has become the new champion of female professional MMA fighting!" Freddie cheered.

"Sweet!" Sam exclaimed as she saw and heard the crowd hoot and holler at her victory. Lights were flashing in the stadium as an announcer called out the amazing defeat of Shelby Marx by Sam Puckett. The sick girl smiled with her eyes closed as she laid on the couch in her best friend's quiet apartment, having just been crowned the new champion of female MMA fighting.

Freddie looked over at Carly and shared a smug smile with her. The guided imagery definitely worked. During this, Spencer and Mrs. Benson walked over.

"Hey guys..." Spencer greeted them awkwardly, wondering what the kids were talking about. He was especially confused about the sick girl laying on the couch who was smiling with her eyes closed. "What's going on?" He asked. Freddie opened his mouth to answer, but Sam spoke up.

"Freddie made me the MMA champ." She smiled happily, not bothering to open her eyes.

"So I take it the Vicodin kicked in?" Spencer couldn't help but laugh, noticing Sam's dreamlike state.

"Nah, we just had Sam use guided imagery." Carly explained with a chuckle.

"Guided imagery?" He cocked an eyebrow at his sister.

"Yes.." Mrs. Benson stepped forward. "It's a technique that uses the power of imagination as a means to detract someone's thoughts from something else. In Samantha's case, it would be her pain."

"Yeah which you guys are ruining right now.." Sam moaned, opening her eyes to look at everyone. She felt a slight discomfort in her abdomen but nothing as severe at it had been before. Plus it were her eyes that were really bugging her. As soon as she glanced around the room, she noticed everything felt funky and had a weird haze to it.

"Is she going to be alright?" Spencer noticed the odd way Sam was glancing around the room and turned towards Mrs. Benson to make sure.

"Let me just check her incision." The woman stated as she walked over to the couch and noticed the ice bag on Sam's stomach. "Oh, did you guys place this on her?" She asked, picking it up.

"Yeah.." Freddie replied as his mother handed him the ice bag for a moment. "I read online that it can help soothe the pain."

"That's right." Mrs. Benson smiled over at him before returning her attention back to Sam. "Alright, now let me just check under this bandage.." She spoke softly removing the top half. Sam just sighed and closed her eyes. She was too relaxed to care about much anymore, and had basically gotten used to people poking and prodding her the past few days. After a short while, Mrs. Benson returned the bandage into place, as she stood back up.

"Everything ok?" Spencer asked.

"Mhm." The woman nodded. "Her incision looks fine."

"That's good." Spencer smiled. "Though what about the pain?" He had to double check, not wanting Sam to have to go through that again. Although she looked peaceful now, he wanted to make sure there wouldn't be a relapse.

"Carly and Freddie calmed her down before the medication could kick in, but it seems as though it's starting to work now." Mrs. Benson explained having realized Sam's eyes were glazing over when the girl opened them.

"Yeah..you're right..." Sam stated quietly, feeling her mind begin to cloud over slowly, but not as drastic to the point where she couldn't think. She noticed that she still had her personality, but knew the drugs were eventually going to suck that from her in time. Still, she couldn't help but realize how loopy she was feeling and for once, it was relaxing....almost as if the painkillers were working properly.

"How long ago did you give her the pill?" Mrs. Benson looked towards Spencer.

"Um, not too long, maybe ten minutes?"

"Ah I see. The full effects will start to hit her soon then."

_'Full effects..?' _Sam thought tiredly, feeling spacier and spacier by the second. _'If this isn't the full effect, then that's probably when the dizzy puking starts....'_ She tried to think. _'Heh...dizzy....what a funny word....dizzyyyyy....'_ Sam let out a soft chuckle as she closed her eyes. Carly looked down at her friend and realized she was getting more out of it. Still, the brunette girl was happy to see that her friend seemed to have started relaxing.

"That's good." Freddie replied, relieved to hear that Sam's pill was working faster than they expected. "Along with the bag of ice, Carly and I splinted her stomach for the pain but I don't think it did too much."

"You splinted her stomach?" Mrs. Benson asked.

"Yeah." Freddie replied as he pointed towards a pillow. "We used that."

"That was very smart of you to do." She smiled at her son, obviously proud.

"Eh, it was nothing.." He looked away bashfully. "I just looked up some sites and stuff, no big deal.." He glanced down at the floor.

"I'm so proud of my Freddie." Mrs. Benson cooed as she walked over to him and planted another kiss on her forehead.

"Mom.." Freddie moaned.

"You're following in my footsteps in becoming a nurse." She beamed at him.

"Mom!" The poor boy exclaimed in embarrassment. Carly and Spencer just glanced at each other with a small smile, obviously humored by Freddie being called a nurse. They weren't the only ones too. Everyone looked down as they heard Sam start to chuckle.

"Paging Nurse Fredwuuurd Benson......." Sam opened her eyes and smiled dreamily at him. Freddie sighed, waiting for the insults to start flying. Instead Sam just reached over and tapped him on his knee. "You can be my nurse any day....You're good at it..." She smiled at him as if she were drunk.

"Huh?" Freddie cocked an eyebrow down at her, as he wasn't sure if she was actually insulting him or not because she looked like she was sincere with the statement. Either way, Sam also looked like she was in a cloud of drugs, which she confirmed as her head started to bob back and forth.

"Nurrrsee..." She giggled as she closed her eyes and sighed, tilting her head to the side on Carly's lap.

"Alright.." Spencer stated as he turned towards Mrs. Benson, realizing that Sam was starting to feel better...for the most part. "Thanks so much for coming here and checking things out. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome Spencer." The woman smiled before turning over to look at Freddie. "Now you be good."

"I know mom! You don't have to say that every time you leave me here." Freddie sighed.

"Yes I do, how else will I make sure you behave?"

"By trusting me?"

"Now let's not get hasty Freddie! Baby steps!" She smiled at him before walking over to the door. Freddie moaned as Carly let out a small chuckle. He shot her a glare as she quickly pursed her lips together and looked to the ceiling, pretending she hadn't laughed. Mrs. Benson then turned back around in the doorway. "And Spencer, if you need me again, feel free to knock on my door!"

"Thanks." Spencer smiled at her.

"Bye kids! And feel better Samantha." Mrs. Benson waved.

"Suure." Sam replied, cracking her eyes open halfway. And with that the woman left. Sam lazily rolled her head over to the side to look at Freddie. "Your mom's cool." She smiled.

"Um, thanks?" Freddie looked at her awkwardly. The Vicodin was definitely working.

"Ok.." Spencer stated as he walked to the front of the couch. "Sam?"

"Huh?" The blond girl's head bobbed as she tried to look up at him.

"While I still don't condone what you did with your medication, I do understand that you're not in a position to be talked to about that just yet."

"Uh..." Sam continued to stare at him, having absolutely no clue what he was talking about. All she could tell was that she was tired and loopy. Sam also noticed that she could feel her personality slipping away, but still felt content. She wasn't sure if it was because the pill was just now going into effect, but either way, she dreaded the zombie robot stage. She just knew it would come once the pill completely dissolved into her blood.

Spencer sighed as he looked down at the girl on the couch. Her eyes were glazing over as they spoke, and he knew she was drifting out. "Sam, why don't you try to get some sleep ok? I'll talk to you later when you're feeling uh...a little more normal."

"Normal...? But I feel ok...okey.....okey-dokey...." She replied, closing her eyes with a small smile. Spencer chuckled.

"I'm sure you do but still, I'll talk to you later, alright?" He responded.

"Alright." Sam replied as she gave a small yawn. Spencer then looked over at his sister.

"Think you can take care of things here? I'll be right in my room if you need me."

"Yeah sure, no problems." The brunette girl smiled, looking down at her friend, realizing she was on the verge of sleep anyway.

"Ok." Spencer replied as looked back over at Sam. "Get some rest now." He stated softly.

"Will do...Spence..." Sam gave him a huge drugged up smile. He returned it with a sympathetic one before turning around and walking towards his room.

_'No way I can yell at her now..' _He sighed exasperatedly as he ran a hand through his hair and walked out of the living room, wondering how in the world he was going to talk to her later if she continued to stay this sweet...or sick. Either way, the man knew he had to confront her eventually. He couldn't allow her to continue doing these sneaky underhanded moves when recovering from surgery, as they could possibly result in her ending back up in the hospital.

Back in the living room, Carly glanced down at Sam and then over to Freddie. "Hey.."

"Yeah?" He asked curiously.

"I almost forgot, she has to eat something with her pill."

"Oh, right.." He replied looking down at the sick girl. "Sam, what would you like?" She looked over at him for a moment and took a long time to think.

"Um....applesauce...?" She stated dreamily, closing her eyes back up as she rested on Carly's lap.

"Alright, I'll get it." He smiled as he walked into the kitchen. In a short amount of time, he found the cups of applesauce and brought one back along with a bottle of water. "Ok.." He stated, making his way back over to the table and setting the bottle down. "Got the applesauce.." Freddie smiled as he plucked off the plastic spoon and opened it up. He stuck it into the tan mush and swirled it around a bit before handing the cup to Sam.

"Thanks Freddeh.." Sam replied with a smile as she grabbed the cup and pulled out the spoonful, all the while still laying down.

"Um Sam, wouldn't you rather sit up to..." Carly was cut off as Sam looked up at her and clamped a hand over her friend's mouth.

"Shhhhh....." Sam replied with a giggle, removing her hand from Carly's face. "Noo....I can eat this way....no problem." She replied softly. Carly looked over at Freddie and smiled. Sam's painkillers were definitely working their way through her system. As the two kids looked back down at their friend, they realized she had already gathered up a giant spoonful of applesauce and brought it over her face. Their eyes widened as they noticed she was about to turn the spoon over without properly lining up the angle with her mouth.

"SAM wait!" Freddie cried out, reaching over as fast as he could but wasn't quick enough.

_SPLAT!_

"Ahhh...what the???" Sam cried out, giving a slight jump as a bunch of applesauce fell onto her face. This simple action seemed to pull her out of her drugged up state for a quick moment. "What is on me?" She asked weakly, looking up at her friends. "What happened?!"

"Uh, you kind of had a bit of trouble feeding yourself some applesauce.." Freddie couldn't help but chuckle as he noticed a few napkins on the table and picked one up and handed it to Sam. She took it from him gratefully and begin wiping off her face.

"Ugh..." She moaned, handing him back the used up tissue.

"Wanna try sitting up now?" Carly laughed as Sam looked back at her. The blond girl once again gave into the haze.

"No.." She replied, closing her eyes. Carly let out a soft sigh.

"Alright, give me the cup." The brunette girl reached over and took it from her sleepy friend's hand. Freddie watched curiously as Carly pulled out a spoonful and slid it into Sam's mouth, feeding her as she had been the past day. At this point, Sam was too relaxed in her dreamlike state to care about who was doing what with her. If she hadn't been on the drugs, there was definitely no way she'd let Freddie see something like this.

"Well I guess that's one way to get the job done." He laughed.

"Hey, whatever works right?" Carly looked up at him with a smile. "At least she's eating."

"True." He smiled. The kids sat quietly as Sam finished getting fed by her best friend. The blond girl kept her eyes closed the entire time.

"Alright, last one." Carly finally spoke as she gave Sam another spoonful. The sick girl chewed on it slowly and swallowed, before turning her head to the side tiredly. Freddie reached over and grabbed the empty cup from Carly.

"I'm thirsty..." Sam replied weakly, not opening her eyes.

"Oh ok then, Freddie can you hand me the water bottle?"

"Sure." He picked it up from the table and brought it over to Carly.

"Thanks." She replied as he handed it to her. She unscrewed the cap and then looked down at her friend, pausing for a moment. "Uh....." It was obvious this task was going to be a lot harder than the applesauce. Sam could easily end up with a face full of water.

Freddie noticed the reason for Carly's hesitation and thought of a solution. "Straw?" He asked.

"Straw." She answered.

* * *

Five minutes had now passed since the kids fed their friend. Carly was still sitting down with Sam's head laying lazily in her lap while Freddie was sitting on the floor as there was no room on the couch for him....or the chair as Frothy mimicked his owner in refusing to get up. Freddie had his back against the right side of the couch as he rested his elbows on top of the small table, holding his head up in his hands. The gang had once again turned their attention back to the TV, glad that the whole painful ordeal for their friend was over. Still, the two friends couldn't help wonder why Sam spat out the pill in the first place.

"Why do you think she did it?" Freddie's voice asked quietly out of nowhere, his eyes still looking at the screen.

"Huh?" Carly looked over at him.

"The pill." Freddie stated, sitting up as he looked over at her. "Why did she spit it out?"

"Oh...I don't know." Carly replied, glancing down at her friend who seemed to be sleeping as she had her eyes closed. With a small sigh the brunette girl looked back up at the TV screen.

"They don't make me feel right...." Sam replied softly, having been listening to their voices echo in her head. The two kids looked over at her in surprise to see that she was still up. The blond girl finally cracked her eyes open and looked at her best friend.

"What do you mean?" Carly asked.

"Makes me feel weird..." She sighed before letting out a giggle. "Weiiirdd.."

"Sam, they're going to make you feel a bit funky, but you need them to recover." Freddie added, not having been around when she was acting like a zombie.

"I don't like it though.." Sam glanced over at him through half closed eyes, struggling to get rid of her goofy smile but failing. She could feel that she was acting bubbly, but wanted to get her thoughts out despite her appearance conflicting them.

"Why?" He asked. From the way she was acting, she seemed to like them. Plus he thought painkillers were supposed to make someone feel better, but it was obvious that for whatever reason, Sam wasn't liking it. Maybe the boy would have had a better understanding if he was around the girl when she was dizzy and nauseous from the Vicodin, but unfortunately he wasn't so he had no clue.

"I don't...know.." Sam replied to him, starting to loose her train of thought. The pills hadn't fully kicked in yet, so she was still in a very relaxed and calming state. Although the sick girl was aware enough to tell that these weird feelings were interfering with her thoughts. She wanted to tell her friends the truth about how she really felt when on her medication, but her body was giving them a false representation of her feelings. She understood that they saw a happy and bubbly girl, but she also remembered that Carly had seen her at the bad part, when the dizziness and nausea overtook her body. Sam decided to try and tell her best friend, hoping she would understand the point she was trying to make. "Carly, you know what I mean.." Sam sighed, closing her eyes, feeling too tired to think.

"I do?" Carly asked, not sure what she was talking about.

"Yeah.." Sam replied, opening her eyes back up to see a fuzzy image of her best friend. Unfortunately as she looked up at her, her thoughts immediately vanished, along with her plan to tell them why she skipped the pill. At this point, the girl was too tired to think anymore, so her mind began to fog up and shut down as her mouth stayed on. "You look pretty." Sam smiled up at her. It was obvious she had finally lost the battle and gave into the drugs.

"Oh, um thank you?" Carly gave her friend a cautious smile before glancing over at Freddie and shrugging.

"Sam Puckett has left the building.." Freddie chuckled. The blond girl glanced over at him.

"I didn't leave...I'm right here..." She yawned. "Or did I? ......what?"

"Oh, it's just an expression, sorry." He replied as he looked over at her before looking back up at Carly. "So I take it Sam was like this all last night?" Freddie asked.

"Not really.." Carly answered honestly as she looked down at the smiling girl in her lap. "She was asleep for the most part, but when she woke up, she was pretty sick."

"Oh...." Freddie replied as he glanced back down at Sam. Her eye lids continued to stay half closed as she stared back at him for a second. Her head was once again bobbing slightly back and forth on Carly's lap as she continued to look at him awkwardly. It was obvious she was thinking of something. "Uh Sam?" He cocked an eyebrow curiously at her, wondering what could possibly be running through her fogged up head.

What was really going through the sick girl's mind was how much she appreciated her friends and how she wanted them to stay by her side. Unfortunately the drugs messed up her thoughts and made her come up with a way to tell them that was a bit..awkward. Freddie watched as she finally opened her mouth.

"We should get married." Sam stated bluntly, giving him a big smile.

"WHAT?" Freddie asked as his eyes widened. His breath hitched in his throat as he felt his heart beat pound. Carly also looked shocked at this suggestion.

"Yeah.." The blond girl smiled as she leaned back and closed her eyes. "We could have a huge wedding....cake....lots of cake..no...wait...ham....mmm birthday ham." She rambled on, mistaking everything she was saying.

"Again I say...WHAT?" Freddie repeated. "You want to marry me?!" He asked frantically once more. Sam cracked open her eyes and looked over at him.

"Of course I want to marry you........and Carly..." Sam stated dreamily, looking up at her best friend. "It'll be fun picking out wedding dresses, right Carlsss." The blond girl slurred as Carly couldn't help but laugh. "We could get a house...and live togethherr.." She mumbled, closing her eyes, smiling at the idea of keeping her friends by her side.

"Oh my.." Carly chuckled at her friend's willingness to get married to two people. "I didn't know you were interested in that sort of thing." She added jokingly.

"Will you guys marry me?" Sam smiled as she opened her eyes and looked up at Carly.

"You are so out of it." The brunette girl laughed, having just been proposed to by her best friend.

"Plus I think we would have to move to Utah or something for a wedding like _that_." Freddie gave a small laugh, as he felt his heartbeat start to calm down after he realized Sam was just being as loopy as heck.

"Utah?" The blond girl asked curiously.

"Uh nevermind." Freddie chuckled. Sam glanced at him for a moment before looking up at Carly. She was about to say something, but instantly forgot what they were talking about as if her mind were a blackboard and someone just took an eraser and wiped the whole thing clean.

"What was I just saying?" Sam moaned, shutting her eyes, realizing her mouth was going a mile a minute, and her mind had only just caught up now. "I feel like I was saying something stupid.." She sighed, feeling more and more tired as she had completely forgotten the conversation she just shared with her friends.

"Oh it was nothing, don't worry about it." Carly added with a sympathetic smile. "Why don't you just go to sleep, ok?"

"Ok.." Sam replied quietly as she closed her eyes and gently rested her head against her friend's lap. There was a small period of silence until the two friends realized Sam had finally taken their advice as she stopped talking. Five minutes passed when Carly and Freddie noticed that Sam was definitely out this time. She was now snoring quietly and drooling as usual.

_'Carly has the patience of a Saint..'_ Freddie thought to himself, noticing that this had to be the third time the poor girl was getting drooled on or so. After glancing over at Sam, Freddie looked up at Carly from his position on the floor.

"Hey..." He stated as the brunette girl looked over at him curiously.

"Yeah?" Carly asked quietly.

"When Sam was talking about picking out wedding dresses, do you think she meant for me too?" Freddie asked as Carly couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Probably."

The poor boy let out a small dissatisfied sigh. Even on drugs Sam managed to emasculate him. "I thought so." He moaned.

* * *

**I wrote Sam like this because I once had a friend who was on painkillers, and they made him act loopy in the beginning but when the full effects hit him, he became pretty dizzy and nauseous. ****(Also, another one of my friends had to take Vicodin, and they were talking about how they kept rambling on about stupid stuff, but were vaguely aware of what they were saying. So that's another detail I used for my story... :P) ****I decided to treat Sam the same way. The way I figure it, she goes through three stages when on the medication:**

**Loopy/Sick and Dizzy/Tired----Pop another pill in and repeat. xD**

** We've never really seen her loopy side from the Vicodin though because she's always gone to sleep right after taking the pill. (PLUS, after watching iTTK, I was just itching to write out another drugged up Sam scene. The last time I had fun doing this was when she was on Morphine in the ambulance. So I thought it would be funny to add another one in. :P Also, I think this may be the first Camie scene I've written as well- "Carly/Sam/Freddie". How's _that_ for paying attention to all aspects of shipping? ;D)  
**


	57. Only Sam

**Alright, I just wanted to give a quick explanation for why this chapter is so short! I've noticed that the site still has some glitches where my readers can't access chapter 56, so I was hoping that maybe if I updated once more, it would knock chapter 56 out of the glitch so everyone can see it. (The glitch seems to only effect the most recent updates, so I figured I'd use this chapter as a way to try and get the glitch off ch 56). That's why I decided to write out this very short chapter, as a hope that my plan will work so you guys can finally get on with the story! So taking that into account, I decided to whip up a few small conversations between Freddie and Carly just for entertainment's sake. This chapter is obviously just filler, but I didn't want to push other people's stories down with an uneventful author's note or something like that, so here's a short scene for you guys to enjoy! (For those who can read it. I'm guessing the glitch will gobble this one up as soon as I post. xP)**

* * *

Another hour had passed while Carly and Freddie managed to pass the time by watching TV and making some small chit chat. The brunette girl was currently listening to her friend ramble on about something that involved his computer class back at Ridgeway.

"And then it was so funny..." Freddie smiled as he looked up at her from his position on the floor. "My group spent twenty minutes trying to figure out what the problem was and why the computer wouldn't boot! We checked all sorts of things like POST beep codes, power supply cables, RAM.." Freddie continued to list off a bunch of computer junk that made Carly want to jab a sock in his mouth. Still, she managed to stay polite and let him talk because the poor boy rarely ever got a chance to when Sam was around. "And here comes the best part!" Freddie looked over at her with a huge smile.

"Yeah?"

"I decided to recheck the wires in the back of the computer, and it seems as though someone forgot to plug in the monitor cable! THE MONITOR CABLE!" Freddie exclaimed, chuckling.

"Oh..um....that's funny stuff.." Carly replied, forgetting to add in her fake excitement which accidentally made her reply come off sarcastic.

"What? You don't think that was funny?" Freddie asked, noticing the tone in her voice.

"Oh uh yes I do! Monitor cable....big laugh riot..." She gave him a half hearted smile.

"Wow Carly, maybe you should join the drama club with all that ACTING you're doing..." He groaned, finally noticing that his friend had been putting on a fake act of enthusiasm for him the whole time.

"Sorry!" Carly replied quickly. "It was just, kind of a big buildup to a....not so big punchline." She shrugged.

"Ah what do you know.." He muttered, looking back towards the TV in a defeated slump, feigning depression.

"Oh cheer up." Carly laughed. "Least I listened."

"I know." Freddie looked back at her and smiled. "I'm just kidding anyways." The two kids were cut off as Sam let out a small cough and moaned. They looked over at her, wondering if she was on the verge of waking up. Their curiosity was quickly answered as the blond girl tilted her head over towards Carly's knee and resumed snoring quietly.

"Look, your joke put Sam to sleep." Carly chuckled.

"Wow." Freddie rolled his eyes in humor. "Good one." He spat out sarcastically in jest.

"I try my best." Carly smiled. The two kids laughed quietly as Sam let out a small sigh, continuing to snore.

"You know.." Freddie stated as he looked down at the girl. "I never took Sam for a snorer."

"She usually doesn't." Carly replied, glancing down at her friend. "It's probably just because she has to sleep on her back for the surgery wound."

"Oh makes sense.." Freddie replied. "It's good that she's not one then." He stated as Carly looked up at him curiously for an explanation. "If Sam snored, I doubt her little tricks to fall asleep during class would work."

"True." Carly chuckled. "The teachers would definitely get suspicious if someone began snoring."

"Definitely." Freddie chuckled. "Remember the time she brought those dark sunglasses to math?"

"Oh yeah.." Carly smiled as she recalled her friend's ingenious plan for dealing with algebra last year. Basically all it involved was slipping on a pair of sunglasses and falling asleep upright.

"I_ still_ don't know how she managed to convince the teacher and school nurse that she had an eye condition that required her to wear those sunglasses for five days." Freddie murmured.

"Her mom was dating an optometrist that week." Carly laughed. "She stole one of his papers and forged a note."

"Well that explains it." Freddie smiled.

"Yeah, it's too bad the school found out and gave her detention for it."

"They did?"

"Yup." Carly answered. "Sam even tried to pull the same stunt in detention. Once she brought out her sunglasses, Ms. Briggs finally confiscated them from her, permanently." Carly explained as the two kids chuckled. They both looked at each other with a smile.

"Only Sam." They laughed in unison.

* * *

**Sam would be the kind of person to try doing something in detention that actually landed her there in the first place. xD**


	58. Being Taken Care Of

Another hour or so had passed as Carly and Freddie decided to stop talking and watch TV once more. The room was quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. The only thing that could be heard was the small hum of the TV and Sam's low snoring. Other than that, it was pretty peaceful. Just then, Spencer came back out from his room fully dressed in a dark blue shirt and a pair of black jeans.

"Hey guys.." He whispered, noticing the volume of the room. "Sam still asleep?"

"Mhm." Carly replied as she looked up at her brother.

"That's good." Spencer smiled. "I'm going to be going out for a bit just to grab some stuff." He explained as he walked over to the counter and grabbed a set of keys.

"What kind of stuff?" Freddie asked curiously.

"A few more groceries for Sam. I was reading up on how to take care of someone who is recovering from an appendectomy and I found out that there are a ton of people in internet land who had gone through the same situation as Sam. I figured I'd buy some of the remedies they used when they were sick. Maybe it'll help her out."

"That's a good idea." Carly smiled.

"Thanks." Spencer smiled back. "Also, I'll be hitting up the art supply store on my way back."

"Why?" Carly asked.

"To grab a new sketchpad. My old one is out of paper and I need a new one to design a project idea I've been thinking of."

"A sketchpad?" Carly asked curiously as her brother nodded. "You can just have mine, the one I took to the community center for art classes. I only used like three pages." As soon as she finished that statement, she noticed the look of horror on her brother's face. "What?" Carly cocked her eyebrow curiously.

"I will do no such thing!" Spencer exclaimed. "That sketchpad has been tainted!" He replied dramatically, placing one arm over his eyes and looking away.

"What do you mean tainted?" Carly asked confused.

"Yeah.." Freddie cut in. "I mean, her bunny _was_ pretty bad, but I wouldn't go as far to say that the sketchpad was _tainted_ because of it." The boy laughed until Carly shot him a glare. He shrugged apologetically.

"I will not write in a sketchpad that my little sister used in her evil plan to learn how to draw behind my back." Spencer huffed.

"But-" Carly started to say before he held his hand up.

"No more words! I must leave now." He stated, walking over to the door. "And remember, if there's any trouble with Sam, I've got my cell on." He looked back at the kids and patted his pocket.

"Alright." Carly replied as Freddie nodded.

"Bye!" Spencer waved to them before leaving the apartment. The kids waved until the door closed behind him. Freddie then looked towards Carly.

"Wow, Spencer was definitely over dramatic on that one..." Freddie chuckled, but his happy demeanor instantly vanished when he noticed the angry look on her face.

"You still won't let my bunny sketch go, will you?" Carly asked accusingly.

"Uh..." Freddie just gave a nervous chuckle as he pulled on the collar of his shirt before looking back at the TV. "Look, a show!" He pointed to the screen, creating a horrible diversion. Carly just laughed and rolled her eyes before looking back at the TV.

* * *

Thirty four minutes had passed since Spencer left the apartment. The kids were still in the same position on the couch, minus Freddie who had to sit on the floor. All had remained the same until Sam tilted to her head to the side and let out a soft sigh. Carly looked down as she felt the movement on her lap and realized her friend was waking up.

"Mmm..." Sam let off a quiet mumble as she slowly opened her eyes. Freddie sat up and looked over when he heard her.

"Hey Sam.." Carly greeted the girl gently. She noticed her best friend's eyes were still a bit glazed.

"Hey Carls.." Sam smiled back, before giving off a tired sigh and closing back her eyes. She was glad to see a familiar face, but it was way too tiring to smile. The corners of her mouth felt weak and heavy, just like the rest of her body.

"So......still in the mood to have that wedding?" Carly laughed.

"H-huh?" Sam asked quietly, opening her eyes and looking back up. Her best friend's image was still hazy, but this time the room felt like it was starting to move. "W-wedding? What are you...talking bout..?" The blond girl asked, trying to choke back the increasing nausea.

"I guess that means the wedding's off." Freddie chuckled. Sam just stared back at them, extremely confused.

"Oh, uh nevermind." Carly replied softly with a chuckle, realizing Sam wasn't as loopy as before. Although she couldn't help but notice that her friend still looked a bit disoriented.

"So how's your stomach?" Freddie asked, referring to the incision.

"U-uh.." Sam strained her neck to look over at him. Unfortunately, the movement made the couch feel like it was spinning and she had to instantly lay back down. "Oh man..." Sam mumbled putting an arm across her eyes.

"You alright?" Carly asked as her friend let off a small moan of discomfort. "Does it hurt?" The brunette girl asked cautiously as she shot a worried look over towards Freddie.

"No.." Sam mumbled, removing her arm off her eyes to look up at Carly. Her best friend's face was starting to spin as well. "Everything's...moving.." Sam stated as her head started to bob back and forth on her friend's lap as she tried to keep her eye sight on Carly but realized it was too hard to focus. Sam brought her right hand up to try and grab the couch cushion next to her to get back some balance, but realized she was too close to the edge as her hand swept through empty space and her arm hung down to the floor. After noticing she hadn't been able to grab something, Sam quickly looked over to her right to see why. That was when she saw how close to the edge she was laying, currently forgetting she was on a couch. "I'm going to fall!" Sam murmured as she stared down at the floor, realizing she had leaned forward too far to look over the edge and couldn't pull herself back up. Carly realized her best friend was having trouble with her balance as she was beginning to slide off the couch headfirst.

"Whoa, ok.." Carly bent over and gently pulled Sam back up, settling her down onto her lap once more. "You're not going to fall.." She explained softly as the blond girl looked up at her with disoriented eyes. Carly watched as Sam reached up and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Yes I am...we're both going to fall...everything's spinning.." Sam moaned, firmly grasping Carly's arms for _some_ sort of balance.

"Sam..." Freddie spoke up as he looked at her. "It's alright, you're not falling, you just might be a little dizzy from the meds."

"Huh..?" Sam looked over at him cautiously, noticing that he was also spinning. She moaned, letting go of Carly, and grabbed onto the back of the couch to attempt to pull herself up. The brunette girl noticed her struggle and put her hands against Sam's back and helped her sit up. "Carly.." Sam looked over at her.

"Yeah?"

"Whatever's going on....I don't feel so good about it." She murmured, turning around on the couch so she was facing the TV with her feet on the floor. She held one arm around her stomach and the other one up to cover her mouth.

"Oh!" Carly replied, realizing what her friend was implying. "Freddie can you get the..."

"On it!" The boy stated as he quickly got up from his seat on the floor and walked over to the kitchen to grab the garbage can. After watching Freddie walk away, Carly turned back towards her best friend.

"It's alright, Freddie's going to get you the EEP!" Carly was cut off as Sam hunched over Carly's legs and started to gag towards the floor. The blond girl realized she had no strength or balance to run to the bathroom, and that she was going to get sick in a few seconds, so in a mixture of confusion and dizziness she tried her best to turn away from her friend, but accidentally moved in the wrong direction. "No Sam!" Carly quickly replied, trying to sit her best friend back up. "Not on the floo..." But it was too late. Carly quickly had to shut her eyes and turn her head away as she could hear her friend begin to get gag. Soon after came the stomach sickening splat. Sam continued to lay against her friend's legs, gagging up her breakfast over the left side of the couch. During this, Carly averted her eyes and looked towards the ceiling, making sure not to loose her cool while holding up her friend's hair in one hand and patting her on the back with the other. Carly knew she was probably one of the worst people to get sick on, because she was so squeamish, but there was no way she was going to let herself freak out when Sam needed help. She could feel her friend's stomach spasming over her legs, and felt bad for her, knowing the sick girl couldn't control herself very well right now. _'Alright...looks like we have another job for Sham-pow..'_ Carly thought, trying to keep her mind off the fact that her best friend was getting sick right on top of her. By now, the brunnette girl had shut her eyes tight as Sam continued to puke, but opened them when she heard her friend stop gagging.

"Oh...." Sam stated weakly.

"A-are you alright?" Carly asked cautiously as she glanced back down at the sick girl who was laying across her legs in a defeated slump. With a small sigh, Carly reluctantly leaned over Sam's back to see what new mess she accidentally made over the side of the couch. Instead, what the brunette girl saw surprised her. Freddie was down on the floor, sprawled out on his stomach, while holding the garbage can between his two hands in front of him. It was placed directly under Sam, preventing any sort of mess. From his position on the ground, it was obvious that when the boy heard Sam start to get sick over the the side of the couch, he actually ran from the kitchen and dove across the floor and landed in a bellyflop to get the garbage can there in time.

"Hello." He smiled at Carly, holding up one of his hands and giving her a small wave.

"Wow!" Carly remarked. "Nice reflexes!"

"Thanks." He replied sitting up on his knees. Meanwhile Sam let out another soft moan, as her stomach still didn't feel quite right. With another gag, she spat out one more mouthful of undigested food into the can.

"Oh.." Carly quickly looked away, but managed to pull her friend's hair back up. Freddie kept the garbage can in place until Sam was finished.

"You done?" He asked gently, realizing she had stopped gagging.

"Yeah.." Sam moaned, finally giving into her weakness as she completely slumped over her friend's lap.

"Ok, easy now.." Carly stated, having felt Sam collapse tiredly over her. She realized this position could be putting some strain on her friend's incision, so she gently put her hands on her friend's shoulders and helped her sit back up.

"Did I just puke on you?" The blond girl asked guitily, still a bit disoriented as Carly helped her sit back into the couch cushions.

"Um, not really _on_ me per se, more like _over _me." Carly gave her a small smile.

"Oh.....I'm sorry....." Sam mumbled, staring into space. "I tried to turn the other way but.."

"It's alright." Carly gave a small laugh.

"Yeah, we got it all in the garbage can anyway, so no worries..." Freddie smiled as he stood up from the floor with the recepticle in his hands. "Though I suppose if I overshot the jump, there was a good possibility that you could have puked on my head." Freddie looked over at Carly and the two shared a small laugh. Sam gave him a smile but felt too weak to laugh.

"There's still time.." She replied quietly, before closing her eyes.

"Oh is there?" Freddie laughed. " I just hope you eat something lighter before you attempt it."

Yeah....so much for the applesauce or Rice Krispies.." Sam sighed sadly, remembering how good the breakfast was before it turned on her. "It didn't even snap crackle or pop coming back up.....what a rip off..."

"I'm not so sure." Carly added with a smile. "I thought I heard a snap." She replied jokingly.

"Nah that was just my elbows hitting the floor when I landed in that bellyflop." Freddie chuckled.

"Oh, my mistake.." Carly laughed. Sam just stayed quiet on the couch, extremely grateful for how well her friends took her continuous puking. She knew it was a hassle for them all, but they remained by her side to stay and take care of her, just as they promised they would at the hospital.

_'Take care of me...?'_ Sam sighed tiredly, repeating those words in her head. She noticed that this was the first time she ever used the phrase in a positive note. Whenever she thought of anyone having to _take care of her_, she instantly felt weak and rejected any sort of action that would imply she needed help. _'Maybe it's not so bad to be taken care of once in a while...'_ Sam finally concluded, closing her eyes tiredly.


	59. Side Effects

**I wanted to make sure I typed up a big chapter for you guys because lately I've been getting swamped with a bunch of English homework. I have to write essays and junk, so I don't have as much free time anymore. (Ironic that writing would take away time from writing huh?). Anyways, I really want to keep the updates going, but I might have to space them out a little more, or shorten the chapters to continue these daily updates. Either way, I just wanted to notify you guys that there might be a few day break in between chapters. (Of course I'll try my best to keep the updates coming) but unfortunately homework may not allow it every day. If it was up to me, I'd just skip the homework and continue writing this story but unfortunately college doesn't agree with that lol. I swear, college English saps any kind of love or inspiration I have for writing. It's ironic how a class devoted to writing can make one hate it so much. But luckily I love doing this story so at least I have one thing to write out that I like. xD Onto the story! ^_^  
**

* * *

Yeah....so much for the applesauce or Rice Krispies.." Sam sighed sadly, remembering how good the breakfast was before it turned on her. "It didn't even snap crackle or pop coming back up.....what a rip off..."

"I'm not so sure." Carly added with a smile. "I thought I heard a snap." She replied jokingly.

"Nah that was just my elbows hitting the floor when I landed in that bellyflop." Freddie chuckled.

"Oh, my mistake.." Carly laughed. Sam just stayed quiet on the couch, extremely grateful for how well her friends took her continuous puking. She knew it was a hassle for them all, but they remained by her side to stay and take care of her, just as they promised they would at the hospital.

_'Take care of me...?'_ Sam sighed tiredly, repeating those words in her head. She noticed that this was the first time she ever used the phrase in a positive note. Whenever she thought of anyone having to take care of her, she instantly felt weak and rejected any sort of action that would imply she needed help. _'Maybe it's not so bad to be taken care of once in a while...'_ Sam finally concluded, closing her eyes tiredly. Still, as comforting as that thought was, her body still wouldn't let her forget how ill she felt. Instead of feeling sickly warm as she had been before, an icy chill spread across her skin.

"Sam?" Freddie asked cautiously as he looked over at the girl.

"Huh?" Sam opened her eyes tiredly to see him standing next to her, having placed the garbage can on the floor.

"I asked if you wanted a drink of water or something..." He replied.

"You did?" Sam asked curiously. _'Ugh, these meds suck..'_ She thought, wondering how she managed to block out his question.

"Yeah, but it's alright if you don't want one.." Freddie replied quickly, noticing Sam seemed to be hesitating towards an answer. He didn't want to push her if she was still nauseous.

"No, it's fine really.." Sam mumbled, closing her eyes and putting a hand to her head. Her body was once again going through all the funky sensations she felt after taking the Vicodin before, and she noticed how increasingly harder it was to think. "I'd like water....thanks." She open her eyes and looked up at him.

"Alright then." Freddie smiled as he bent down and retrieved her empty glass from the table and made his way over to the kitchen. The two girls watched him walk away until Carly looked back at her best friend.

"So, I see your stomach's still a bit jumpy." She gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah.." Sam sighed. "It's just gets really bad when I wake up. Everything starts spinning like crazy." She paused for a moment and glanced back at Carly. "Even now, everything has a weird tilt to it..." She moaned, shutting her eyes.

"You going to be alright?" Carly asked cautiously, getting herself ready just in case she had to leap over her friend's legs and grab the garbage can if needed.

"Yeah yeah.." Sam nodded her head lazily, feeling another icy chill sweep through the room. "Though I _could_ use your help with something." The blond girl stated reluctantly.

"What?" Carly asked as she felt her leg muscles tighten. She was getting ready to move for the garbage can because she knew that her best friend only gave a five second warning before getting sick. The brunette girl was determined to get a better response time to that situation.

"Could you help me walk upstairs?" Sam looked over at Carly, catching her off guard with the question. Normally the blond girl would _never _ask for help in a blunt way such as this, but over the past few days she had learned to accept it when needed. And by the way Sam was feeling, she knew help was needed this time.

"Huh?" Carly asked curiously, her muscles relaxing. "Why do you have to go upstairs?"

"Well...I really want to change into some pants because I feel a bit cold, but I don't think I can go alone. I'm still kinda dizzy." Sam replied. "I need your help."

"Oh! Sure! That's no problem." Carly smiled, glad to see that her best friend actually admitted she needed some assistance without a struggle. She realized Sam was finally understanding that everyone was here to help her, and ever since the shower incident, the stubborn girl was beginning to show a lot of progress.

"Thanks." Sam smiled at her. "Wanna help me stand too?" She added quickly, giving off a small chuckle. She knew how pathetic that statement sounded but didn't care at this point.

"Of course." Carly laughed as she stood up and bent back down to help her friend up. As Sam held onto her friend's arms for balance while standing up, she couldn't help but notice that she still felt a bit of pain in her stomach. Nothing big of course, but it was still a bit of discomfort. "There." Carly stated as she stood next to Sam. "Everything ok?" She asked, having realized that her friend's hands were a bit clammy.

"Yeah...for the most part." Sam replied, still holding a firm grasp onto one of Carly's arms to keep from the floor tilting away underneath her feet. "Though I have to ask, did you spill something on yourself?"

"Huh?" Carly asked confused.

"Your pants.." Sam replied, having noticed a large wet spot above her best friend's right knee.

"Oh that?" Carly couldn't help but chuckle. Sam was curious about her response until Freddie walked back over with a glass in hand, having heard that small part of their conversation.

"You were drooling on her in your sleep." Freddie smiled.

"Huh?" Sam asked.

"Like this. Blehhh.." Freddie opened his mouth agape and held a dead stare in his eyes as he tilted his head to the side, over dramatizing what drooling might look like.

"Oh...nice." Sam slit her eyes, a bit irked at his imitation of her. She then glanced back at her best friend, knowing an apology was in order. "Uh...sorry bout that.."

"Don't worry about it." Carly smiled. "Lets just get you upstairs."

"Why are you guys going upstairs?" Freddie asked curiously as he set the glass of water down on the table.

"Oh, Sam's just a bit cold so she's going to change into some pants...." Carly explained, pausing for a moment to look at her best friend, realizing that Sam still felt a bit awkward about Freddie seeing her in a weakened state since she had averted her eyes and looked down to the floor. Carly knew Freddie would understand that Sam needed a bit of help walking, but she decided to add in an extra detail for Sam's comfort. "...and I have to go to the bathroom, so I'm going up with her." She finished.

"Oh, alrighty then." Freddie smiled. He knew what was up as he wasn't completely as gullible as some people made him out to be......specifically the two girls in front of him. He could see that Sam was too woozy to walk on her own, and respected the fact. "I'll just hang down here." He replied.

"Sounds good, see ya in a bit." Carly added as she turned around and started to walk slowly with Sam towards the elevator. Well...Carly walked, but Sam did a sort of lean and limp. Carly realized that her best friend was practically laying against her upright but didn't mind. She knew Sam's balance was seriously screwed up and didn't mind holding her up as the two made their way over to the elevator. As soon as they got there, Carly pressed the button and the door let out a small ding, opening up. The two girls stepped in and turned around before the metal door slid back down.

Freddie sighed as he looked over at the couch. Instead of going to sit back down and wait for them, his eyes widened as he thought of an idea. "Hmm...I wonder..." The boy walked across the living room and made his way towards Spencer's room.

* * *

"Thanks for that lie about the bathroom.." Sam replied quietly as the two friends stood in the elevator.

"No problem." Carly smiled. "...although it wasn't a complete lie."

"Huh?" Sam asked curiously.

"Well, we've been sitting on that couch for hours!" Carly laughed. "Even I have to go sometime."

"Oh." Sam gave her a small smile, before looking down to the floor with a small sigh. Everything still felt weird to her, and the movement of the elevator didn't help the fact that her balance was going crazy. "Man, I feel like I'm drunk or something.." Sam spoke softly as she stared at her feet, trying her best to stay standing. Luckily she had Carly's arm in her grasp to keep her upright. "There would be no way I could pass a sobriety test in this condition."

"Sobriety test?" Carly asked curiously.

"Yeah...you know that thing the cops put you through when they think you're drunk? The 'can you walk straight on a line' test."

"Oh..." Carly replied with a chuckle, humored by her friend using illegal references to her condition. Although the brunette girl's humor suddenly vanished when she _really_ took Sam's words into account. "Wait, did you..?" Carly looked over at the blond girl hesitantly with wide eyes.

"I'm not talking from experience!" Sam replied quickly, knowing what her best friend thought she had implied. "I never mess with stuff like that. The worst thing the cops could nab me for is stealing a ham."

Carly couldn't help but chuckle as she rolled her eyes. "Alright good then." She smiled. "But stealing is wrong too." She pointed her finger accusingly, feeling the need to add that part.

"Yeah yeah, I know." Sam chuckled, grateful to be sharing a nice conversation with her friend. For some reason, something just as simple as talking seemed to have a calming effect on the girl's body. Sam didn't know if it was because it took her mind off the funky feelings, but either way, whenever she talked with Carly and Freddie she felt a bit better, however slight it may be. Just then the elevator let out another ding as it landed on the second floor of the Shay apartment.

Carly started to walk out, but noticed her friend's hesitation. "You alright?"

"Sorry, just takes me a bit of time to get going." Sam replied as she shut her eyes tight. The medication's side effects once again took hold of her body as she felt the floor start to tilt up.

"That's fine. Just take a deep breath." Carly instructed as her friend did as she was told. After waiting a few seconds, Sam finally opened her eyes.

"Ok, I think I can walk now." She replied as she started to hobble alongside her friend down the hallway and towards the bedroom. Carly noticed that Sam seemed to be still having a bit of trouble with her surgery wound as she continued to limp.

"Does it hurt?" Carly asked cautiously.

"Huh?" Sam asked as the two girls made their way past the bedroom door. Carly closed the door once they were in.

"Your cut." The brunette girl answered.

"Oh..." Sam replied, looking down at her stomach. "Not really. Well, yeah I mean I get a twinge of pain whenever I move, but nothing I can't deal with. Nothing like...before." She sighed tiredly, remembering how horrible the incision had throbbed before the Vicodin kicked in. Sam let off a small sigh as she looked down to the floor. Carly glanced over at her friend and realized she had accidentally depressed her.

"Well, hey, let's go and pick out a pair of pants." Carly added, changing the subject as she tried to make up for her mistake of accidentally putting Sam back into a saddened mood.

"Alright.." The blond girl replied hesitantly as the two walked over to the dresser. Although she could tell Carly felt guilty and tried to change the subject, Sam knew she was the one who _should_ be guilty...for what she did. She couldn't help but remember the bad decision she made earlier this morning by spitting out her painkillers, and how it freaked out everyone, especially Spencer. Sam knew she owed him a huge apology.

"Here we are." Carly stated with a smile as she pulled open the drawer that held all of Sam's clothing in it. She glanced over at her friend and realized she still looked sad. _'Aw man..'_ Carly thought to herself. _'Why did I have to bring up the surgery wound..' _The girl berated herself, realizing that for whatever reason, it crushed Sam's spirit. "Um what would you like?" Carly asked as Sam peered in. The blond girl gave a small shrug.

"Don't care...just..pants.." She sighed, realizing that contemplating her horrible decision's consequences had made her too tired to think or talk anymore.

"These alright?" Carly asked as she pulled out a pair of plain dark blue pajama pants.

"Mhm." Sam replied as her friend handed the article of clothing to her.

"Are you going to be needing any help?" Carly asked.

"No.." Sam replied quietly, confirming her answer by moving away from Carly and slowly limping towards the side of the bed on her own. While she was still pretty dizzy, she was able to walk the short distance and use the bed for anything else she might need balance for. "I can manage."

"Ok, well I'm just going to make a quick trip to the bathroom. You can change in here." Carly spoke as she walked over to her bathroom. "Just tell me when you're done." She added, making sure Sam had her privacy.

"Kay.." The blond girl nodded. And with that Carly disappeared from sight, shutting the door with a click. Sam sighed and looked down at herself. Getting the shorts off would be easy, but getting the pants on would be difficult, especially since she was so dizzy. _'Alright..'_ Sam thought slowly in her head. _'My main goal right now is not to fall..'_

_

* * *

_Meanwhile, back downstairs, Freddie was currently rifling through Spencer's bathroom cabinets.

"C'mon, it's got to be in here. I know I saw Spencer use it before.." The boy mumbled to himself as he checked the various shelves. After pushing away a few bottles of cleaning supplies and mouthwash, Freddie finally found what he needed. "Aha!" He remarked happily, pulling it out.

* * *

Back up in Carly's room, Sam had successfully finished her task of changing into pants. She sat down on the bed with her feet dangling to the floor and firmly grasped the blankets next to her for balance. The short task of changing had drained the girl of so much energy, that she contemplated the idea of just laying down and going back to sleep for a little bit before shaking the thought out of her mind. Sam remembered what she had done in Carly's room earlier and didn't want that to happen again. Plus the fact that she almost puked on the living room floor just now didn't help her feel better about it either. Sam confirmed that there was no way she was going to sleep in Carly's bed again if she was too sick to take care of herself properly. The blond girl looked down at the floor curiously, glad to see Spencer had cleaned up the mess she made earlier. Her eyes also trailed over as she noticed her shorts were lazily tossed to the floor. The blond girl had forgotten about them but had no strength to make a move to pick them up. As she heard a flush come from the bathroom, she quickly deduced that Carly would get it for her as her friend was a neat freak. With a sigh, Sam closed her eyes until she heard a knock on the bathroom door.

"Is it ok for me to come out?" Carly's voice asked softly from behind the door.

"Yeah.." Sam called out. The door then opened as her best friend walked out.

"Everything work out fine?" Carly asked as her friend nodded.

"Yeah.." Sam repeated as she watched Carly look down at the floor.

"Nice." She chuckled jokingly, noticing that her friend left her shorts on the ground. "You can take Sam Puckett out of the mess, but you can't take the mess out of Sam Puckett." She laughed as she bent down to pick up her friend's clothes. Carly's laughter quickly died out though when she noticed Sam was just staring at the wall in front of her. "I'm just kidding you know.." Carly responded softly, as she placed the shorts into her hamper, hoping her friend didn't take offense at what she said.

"I know.." Sam sighed. "Just too tired to laugh..or talk.."

"Oh, that's ok." Carly replied, walking back over to her. "If you're tired, why don't you just lay down and go to sleep?" She offered, patting the bed. Sam looked over and noticed her friend's pillows. They looked so comfy and as good at that suggestion sounded, she kept firm to her earlier choice of refusing to sleep there until she felt well enough.

"No...I don't want to sleep." Sam sighed. "I want to stay with you and Freddie...downstairs." She stated unemotionally, through half closed eyes. Carly knew better than to argue.

"Alright, that's fine." She smiled, holding her hand out to her friend to help her back up. Sam took it and stood up and off the bed.

"But can I use the bathroom first?" Sam asked quietly.

"You know you don't have to ask." Carly gave her a small smile.

"Ok.." Sam replied quietly as she walked in and shut the door behind her. Carly gave a small sigh and sat down on her bed as she waited for her friend. She had realized Sam acted like this before.

_'Right after she puked in my room...' _Carly thought to herself. _'She was acting all weird like this. Guess it's just the Vicodin. Hope she feels ok..' _She added, knowing that her friend was fighting the medication's effects and hoped it wasn't too much of a strain on her body.

* * *

Meanwhile in the bathroom, Sam had finished up and was now washing her hands in the sink. _'I feel so out of it..'_ She sighed, looking down at the water rushing over her fingers. Everything was so hazy and she felt emotionally drained. Sam knew her personality had been sapped by the Vicodin once more as she was too tired to continue talking, but what she disliked most was how she couldn't help feeling this way. She hated the fact that she had no control over these sensations and that she was at mercy of the medication. _'And to top it all off..' _Sam thought tiredly as she glanced up at the mirror, seeing that her skin was still pale while her eyes continued to have dark circles around them. _'...I still look like crap.'

* * *

_

Carly sat patiently on her bed until she heard a flush come from the bathroom. After a little bit, Sam finally came back out.

"You sure you don't want to go to bed?" Carly offered once more as she stood up.

"No.." Sam sighed, unintentionally making her answer sound harsh.

"Oh..uh sorry!" Carly quickly replied, having noticed the irritation in her friend's voice. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't.." Sam moaned quietly. "I just..can't think or talk right. I'm sorry." Sam shut her eyes tight, trying to make sure she got her words out correctly. "I just really want to sit with you and Freddie, and listen to you guys talk."

"Listen to us?" Carly asked curiously.

"Yeah.." Sam replied. "Being around you guys....makes me feel normal....even if I can't say much." She sighed. Even talking like this was getting way too hard.

"Oh, ok, that makes sense." Carly smiled as she walked over towards Sam and held her hand. "Let's go back downstairs then." Sam nodded her head quietly, grateful that her friend understood. The two girls made their way out of the room and back towards the elevator.

* * *

As soon as the elevator landed on the living room floor, the door slid upwards. Carly led Sam out just as she had before. The blond girl continued to limp and lean against her while Carly supported her over towards the couch. With a small sigh, Sam was helped down to a sitting position on the middle cushion.

"That good?" Carly asked as her friend nodded.

"Yeah." Sam replied quietly, leaning her head back against the top of the couch and shutting her eyes.

"Alright." Carly replied as she sat down next to her friend's right side and looked around the room. "I wonder where Freddie is.."

"Right over here!" He called out from the kitchen.

"Huh?" Carly asked as she turned to look towards the source of his voice. She saw him walk back around from the counter with something red in his hand. "What is that?" She asked curiously. Freddie answered her question by holding it up.

"A hot water bottle." He smiled. "I remembered you guys had one so I found it and filled it up."

"Oh yeah." Carly laughed. "Spencer had to use that when his attempts to train for pro-football failed. He was sore for weeks."

"Yup." Freddie chuckled. "I figured it'd help Sam with her chills and stomach."

"Good idea." Carly smiled as Freddie walked over to the right side of the couch and sat down next to the sick girl's left.

"Here you go." Freddie spoke softly to Sam. "If you place it on your incision, it'll also take away the pain." He explained as he handed it over towards her. She took it from him slowly and lifted up her shirt to reveal the cut. As she placed the small water bottle on her stomach, Freddie couldn't help but notice how tired she looked as she closed her eyes.

"Thanks.." Sam replied unemotionally on the outside, although in her mind she was extremely grateful for the warmth because it not only soothed her dull ache, but also helped get rid of the chill. Unfortunately she couldn't get her thoughts out right to him as she felt the medicine continue to block her mouth from speaking her mind.

"You're welcome." Freddie replied. "That should keep you warm." He added with a smile until he saw Sam open her eyes up and stare into space lifelessly, giving off a tired sigh. The boy scratched his head and decided to hush up, wondering if she was acting this way because she was irritated that he was talking to her. Either way, he decided to be quiet if that was the case.

"Um Freddie?" Carly asked, having noticed he was confused about Sam's unemotional state.

"Yeah?" He looked up at her.

"Can you help me clean out the garbage can? So it's empty for next time..just in case?" Carly offered as she stood up from the couch. Freddie glanced over at Sam and saw that she was still looking ahead in a blank stare, as if she couldn't hear them and was dead to the world. He knew he had to ask Carly about this.

"Uh, sure.." Freddie stated hesitantly as he stood up and picked up the garbage can. He then walked over towards Carly as the two made their way over to the kitchen. Once out of Sam's hearing distance, they both stopped in front of the sink as he set the receptacle down. Freddie knew Carly had used it as a diversion to let him talk to her. "So, what's up with Sam? Is she ok?" He asked worriedly.

"Yeah, this happened before." Carly replied.

"When?"

"Remember when I told you how Sam got sick and puked in my room earlier?" Carly explained as he nodded. "Well afterward, I think she was on an adrenaline rush or something in which she was acting normal, but after a little while she starting acting like this."

"Unemotional and distant?" Freddie asked, clarifying their friend's behavior.

"Yes. I think it's from the Vicodin."

"Oh, ok." He replied. "So, should we do anything? Or just stay quiet so she can relax..or.."

"Nah, Sam doesn't want us to stay quiet."

"What do you mean?" Freddie asked curiously as he cocked an eyebrow. "She seems to be irritated whenever I say anything.."

"No, it's not like that." Carly quickly replied. "Sam told me that the medication is blurring her mind, making her too tired to talk, but she said she still likes to hang around with us, despite how much it doesn't look like it."

"When did she tell you this?" Freddie asked.

"Upstairs, just a few minutes ago. When I noticed she was starting to fade out, I tried to get her to go to bed, but she refused. She told me she really wanted to stay with us, even if she couldn't talk much. She said she enjoys listening to us talk."

"Really?" Freddie asked as Carly nodded.

"She says it makes her feel more normal."

"Oh, I get it..." He murmured. "So even though she looks uninterested in the outside, she just wants to hang out with us like everything's fine?"

"Yup." Carly smiled. "So don't take her responses the wrong way. She really doesn't mean it."

"Alright. I gotcha." He smiled, glad to hear that Sam wasn't irritated...just tired and foggy. "So..." He looked down at the trash can. "We really should clean this up."

"Yeah..you're right." Carly replied as she turned around towards her sink and crouched down, opening up a cabinet door underneath it. As she fished out a clean garbage bag, Freddie pulled the ends of the old one up and tied them together. As soon as it was tied in a bow, he pulled it out of the receptacle.

"I'm going to go and throw this out in the trash chute, ok?"

"Sounds good." Carly smiled as she shook out the fresh bag and started to put it into the trash can.

While Carly worked on replacing the bag, Freddie picked up the old one and carried it out of the kitchen and across the room. As he walked past the TV, he looked over at Sam. "I'm just going to go throw this out, ok?" He stated with a smile.

"Ok.." Sam replied quietly, not bothering to look at him.

"I'll be right back." He smiled once more, making sure he talked to her as if nothing was out of the ordinary before making his way to the door and leaving the apartment. Sam sighed, and closed her eyes, appreciative of the fact.

* * *

Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Freddie walked down the corridor to find the trash chute. As he rounded the corner he met up with Spencer.

"Oh! Hey Freddo." Spencer smiled, holding up a bunch of grocery bags in his right hand, with a few sketchpads wedged underneath his arm. In his left hand he held up a medium sized white paper bag with the Groovy Smoothie logo printed on it.

"Hey Spence." Freddie replied. "What's in the bag?" He asked curiously, referring to the Groovy Smoothie one.

"Oh, just a few toasted bagels for you guys. I figured you might be hungry since it's lunchtime."

"Thanks." Freddie smiled, starting to smell the aroma of toasted bread in the air. It made his stomach grumble. "Now that you've brought it up, I actually am pretty hungry."

"Good." Spencer smiled back. "So now it's my turn to ask. What's in your bag?"

"Puke." Freddie simply stated.

"Yum?" Spencer grimaced a bit, making Freddie chuckle.

"Not as good as bagels huh?" He laughed.

"No." Spencer chuckled. "Sam I take it?" He asked as the boy nodded. "She alright?"

"Yeah." Freddie answered as he walked over to the trash chute and pulled the tiny door open. "She woke up sick to her stomach and threw up, but afterward she felt better." He explained as he pushed the bag down the chute.

"Oh, that's good." Spencer added as he watched Freddie close the small door back up. _'Hmm, maybe now would be a good time to talk to her..' _He thought. "Is she still awake by any chance?"

"Yup." Freddie replied as he turned around and started to walk alongside Spencer back to the apartment. "She's sitting on the couch."

"Alright.." Spencer replied quietly, realizing he needed to talk to her now before she fell back asleep.

"I can carry some of that." Freddie stated as he took the bagel bag and sketchpads from Spencer, easing the man's load.

"Thanks." Spencer replied, grateful to feel some of the weight gone.

"So why didn't you take the elevator?" Freddie asked curiously as the two rounded the corner.

"Well I was going to, but apparently someone was using it, so I decided there'd be no harm in walking up a few flights of stairs. Carly keeps telling me how I need the exercise anyway." He and Freddie let off a small chuckle as they finally reached the door to the apartment. Once Spencer reached over and opened it, they noticed Carly was sitting next to Sam on the couch with the garbage can placed to the side.

"Look who I found." Freddie stated as the two walked in.

"Oh! Hey Spence." Carly smiled as she saw her brother come in.

"Hey Carly." He replied, smiling back as he walked over and set the bag of bagels down on the table. "And hey there kiddo." He looked over at Sam cheerfully. She just looked back at him with clouded eyes.

"Hi..." She replied quietly. Although no one else could tell due to her unemotional state, Sam felt extremely guilty once she saw him. Her voice came out quiet due to the nervousness she was feeling about making him mad earlier.

"How you feeling?" Spencer asked softly, a bit curious about the way she looked. While she wasn't full out loopy like she was before the last time she was awake, she still seemed to be a bit foggy.

"I'm ok.." Sam replied quietly once more, looking to the floor. Spencer stared at her for a moment until his little sister spoke up.

"So what's in the bag?" Carly asked, having shared Freddie's earlier curiosity in the hallway.

"Oh.." Spencer looked up at her. "Those are just a few bagels for you guys to eat for lunch.."

"Oh cool, thanks." Carly smiled, noticing how hungry she had been as well. A bagel sounded really good.

"Yup, I got one for you, Freddie, and Sam." He looked over at the sick girl. "..if you want it." He added, opening up the bag which caused the scent of toasted bread to fill the air, making Sam's stomach roll over in nausea. Spencer cocked an eyebrow curiously as he saw the blond girl's eyes come to life.

"B-bagels?" Sam asked weakly, as he nodded.

"Yup. Want one?" He pulled one out and held it over to her.

"No." She moaned quickly, shutting her eyes and putting her hands over her mouth and nose.

"Spencer!" Carly berated her brother quickly, noticing he had made her nauseous once more.

"Oops, I'm sorry!" He replied, not having realized what effect the bagels would have on the poor girl. "I didn't mean..."

"No..." Sam's muffled voice spoke out from behind her hands. "It's alright..but...I just.....I..can't be around that right now. I'm going to get sick if I smell it.." She moaned.

"Oh um, why don't Freddie and I go upstairs and finish up our bagels quickly, ok?" Carly offered as the boy nodded in agreement. Sam looked up at them, still holding her hands over her face. While she felt saddened that they were going to leave, she knew there was no way her nausea was going to stay down if they ate the bagels right next to her. She would definitely end up puking, ruining both her stomach and her friend's appetites.

"Actually I have a better idea." Spencer spoke up. "Sam, I need to speak with you so why don't we let Carly and Freddie eat their lunch in here while we talk in my room." He spoke with a soft tone as Sam looked up at him cautiously. She understood what this conversation was going to be about and felt nervous about it...but knew it had to be done.

"Um Spencer.." Carly started to say, also realizing what he wanted to talk to Sam about. She wasn't sure if her best friend was in the proper mind frame to get yelled at...or at least talked to harshly yet. "I don't think right now would be the best time to.." Carly was cut off as Sam moaned.

"No....it's ok." Sam stated weakly. "I'll go." She confirmed, knowing that she had to apologize to Spencer for her actions.

* * *

**Looks like Sam's back in her zombie-robot phase. D= It's too bad she has to deal with the confrontation with Spencer during it next chapter. x_x**


	60. Calm Down and Relax

**Alright, first of all I just wanted to apologize for uploading a chapter yesterday and then deleting it (Yes, that was all me. Not a site glitch lol). I had uploaded my deleted scene with Spencer yesterday, but then when I looked at it, I realized how much I didn't like having the deleted scene put into the middle of the chapters, disrupting the flow of the actual story. So I eventually ended up deleting it. I finally decided on uploading it at the end of the story as I wanted to do before, but then I thought of something fun. As a gift to all my frequent reviewers, I've decided to let you guys read the chapter now instead of waiting until the very end when I upload it here on fanfiction. net. I will post it somewhere else, making it an exclusive gift solely to my faithful reviewers ****who have stuck by me with the story! You guys know who you are, and I truly can't thank you enough because you've really given me the inspiration to keep the story going for as long as this. Once I get the chapter posted up, I'll pm you guys the link so you can go and read it. I figured this was the least I could do to show you how much I appreciate your reviews! Giving an exclusive alternative chapter is my little way of saying thanks to you guys for your awesome comments! They truly brightened my day and really held a huge part in the making of the story! **

**(Note: I'll end up posting the chapter at the end of the story so everyone else gets a chance to read it, but for now it's only staying exclusive to a few select people that I feel deserve something a little special!)**

**Now onto the story! ^_^  
**

* * *

"Actually I have a better idea." Spencer spoke up. "Sam, I need to speak with you so why don't we let Carly and Freddie eat their lunch in here while we talk in my room." He spoke with a soft tone as Sam looked up at him cautiously. She understood what this conversation was going to be about and felt nervous about it...but knew it had to be done.

"Um Spencer.." Carly started to say, also realizing what he wanted to talk to Sam about. She wasn't sure if her best friend was in the proper mind frame to get yelled at...or at least talked to harshly yet. "I don't think right now would be the best time to.." Carly was cut off as Sam moaned.

"No....it's ok." Sam stated weakly. "I'll go." She confirmed, knowing that she had to apologize to Spencer for her actions.

"Alright." Spencer stated softly as he walked over to the couch and held his hand out for Sam. She reached out and used it for balance as she pulled herself up shakily. The floor was tilting in weird ways underneath her feet as she was still a bit dizzy. Spencer noticed the girl's lack of balance and made sure he stayed alongside her to keep her from falling. He wrapped his arm around one of her shoulders and allowed her to lean into him. Once satisfied that Sam was secure standing, Spencer looked back over at his sister. "Now you guys enjoy those bagels."

"We will." Carly gave her brother a soft smile. She and Freddie then watched as Spencer gently walked alongside Sam as she limped. The two made their way across the living room and finally disappeared into the hallway. With a small sigh of reluctance, Carly looked back down at the bag on the table and began pulling bagels out. She still wasn't sure if now was the proper time for her brother to speak to her friend.

"What do you think he's going to say to her?" Freddie asked cautiously as he sat down next to Carly on the couch. The brunette girl turned towards him and handed him a bagel.

"Not sure...but I hope he goes easy on her. She's not really herself just yet."

"Yeah.." Freddie mumbled in agreement as he bit down onto his bagel. "But...this is Spencer we're talking about." He explained, his voice muffled. "I'm sure he won't yell..."

"True." Carly gave a small laugh. "I mean, my brother's goofy and all, but I think he'll be smart enough to handle this situation properly."

* * *

Spencer and Sam had finally made their way into his bedroom. He cautiously looked down at the girl leaning next to him as she continued to limp into his room. He noticed that Sam made a few winces while she walked, signaling that she was still in a bit of pain.

"Are you alright?" Spencer asked, making sure everything was ok.

"Yeah." Sam replied in monotone, keeping her response short. Spencer noticed this and decided not to ask any further questions about her stomach. He glanced over at his room and decided to let her sit on his bed, wanting to make sure everything was as comfortable for her as possible.

"Here, why don't you sit on my bed." He explained as he led the weak girl over towards his mattress.

"Kay.." Sam replied quietly as he helped turn her around and sit down on the soft bed gently. She couldn't help but let off a small moan of discomfort as she felt a twinge of pain from her abdomen.

"That ok?" Spencer asked, after having settled the girl down.

"Yeah.." Sam sighed, sounding irritated, although she wasn't. She was just really tired. Even the small walk from the living room seemed to have drained a lot from her. The girl glanced down at her feet as they hung over the edge of Spencer's bed and to the floor. The world still had the blurry haze to it and she just wished she could lay down and fall asleep. Unfortunately her mind was aware enough to know that she couldn't at this point.

"Alright.." Spencer sighed. "Do you need anything before we start?" He asked gently. "Trip to the bathroom, drink of water...or.."

"No." Sam replied. She just wanted to get this over with and give him the apology he so rightly deserved. "Please..just start.." She let out a soft moan. Spencer looked at her hesitantly, noticing how fogged up her eyes were. He realized why Carly was so reluctant for him to talk to Sam and why his little sister didn't think that now would be a good time for them discuss what happened earlier. Still, the man decided to go on with his plan, although he made a small note in the back of his head to make sure that if things got too tiring for Sam, he would cut off the conversation and continue it later. With that final thought, Spencer looked over at the girl and began to speak.

"Ok Sam....." He stated softly as she looked up at him through glazed and half closed eyes. "Now...I've thought of many ways to go about this situation..." Spencer paused as he took a deep breath and scratched underneath his chin in thought. Sam sat patiently on the bed, waiting for him to continue talking. "I've thought about yelling at you...." He sighed as he started to pace along the floor in front of the girl with his hands behind his back. "I've thought about punishing you..." Spencer stopped walking and turned around to face her. "And I've even thought of just taking your wrist and slapping it." He finished as Sam found the strength to cock her eyebrow.

"Huh..?" She asked out weakly.

"Like this." Spencer walked over towards her and gently picked up her hand. He held out two fingers and gave her a soft tap. "Bad girl."

Sam just sat in silence, extremely confused.

"But then I remembered you're not a dog, so that won't work." Spencer gave her a small smile as he settled her wrist back onto her lap gently. Even though Sam was too tired to show her emotions, she couldn't help but inwardly laugh at the man's goofiness. Even when she was in trouble, he made things feel better. Her thoughts were broken off though when he continued to speak. "So I finally came to a conclusion." Spencer confirmed as he turned around and walked over towards his desk. Sam watched curiously as he pulled out his black leather computer chair and rolled it in front of her. He spun it around and sat down on it so he was facing the back of the chair. The man then leaned forward and crossed his arms on top of the chair's back and rested his chin down on his wrists as his hands hung over the edge. "I've decided to let _you_ talk."

"What?" Sam asked weakly, still unsure of where he was going with this. She watched as Spencer took another deep breath and sat up.

"I'm not used to dealing with someone of your..." He paused to make sure he got the word right. "...independence." He finished. "Whenever Carly gets in trouble, she comes to talk to me about it, but I've noticed that with you it's somewhat, different. You're a bit..." He paused for a moment looking to the ceiling in thought, wanting to make sure he said nothing offensive.

"...stubborn?" Sam offered quietly, referring to the word Carly and Freddie had used on numerous occasions to describe her. Spencer couldn't help but chuckle at the bluntness of her honesty.

"Yeah. Stubborn." He smiled, glad to see that despite her uninterested appearance, she was following the conversation. "And I'm not really that good at dealing with your kind of attitude. I mean, especially when you pull stuff like this..." He added, referring to the secrets she kept from him. Letting out a long sigh, Spencer made eye contact with her. "Sam, you just can't make decisions like that by yourself, especially when it could affect your health."

"I know.." She replied unemotionally, looking away from him. Spencer watched as her eyes trailed down to the floor in what seemed to be shame, although it was too hard to tell if it was just the drugs or not. "And I'm sorry.." Sam's voice croaked out quietly. That was when the man realized she had indeed felt guilty, despite the fact that she looked like she couldn't care less about the conversation.

"Look." Spencer stated softly, taking note of the hidden sad tone in her voice. "I'm not looking for an apology. I'm looking for an explanation."

"Explanation?" Sam asked quietly, looking back up at him slowly. She was trying very hard to focus through the haze.

"Mhm." Spencer nodded. "You see, I understand that you get into a lot of trouble because you're..." He paused again, trying to stay off any offending words.

"Abrasive?" Sam replied once more, helping him out.

"Yeah." Spencer chuckled, glad to see she was pulling him out of any awkward positions. "And because of that, I know you get yelled at a lot."

"Yeah...." Sam sighed, bracing herself for whatever Spencer had ready for her.

"But you're not here to get yelled at." He replied softly.

"Huh?" Sam asked weakly. "I'm not?" The blond girl was struggling to keep her mind clear, although she couldn't help but wonder if she had faded out by the way things were going. Maybe in actuality Spencer _was_ yelling at her this moment, but she had gone off into some sort of dreamland by now. Either way, Sam continued to fixate her eyes on the man in front of her, hoping that this scenario was real.

"No, I'm not going to yell at you. You're here so we can talk...so I can understand."

"Understand?" Sam asked, her eye lids half closed.

"Yes." Spencer gave her a small smile. "I know you're going through a lot, but I can't help you if you hide stuff from me. We need to communicate." He stated, pointing his finger back and forth between them. "You've got to talk to me, and help me understand what you're experiencing."

"Oh..." Sam replied, looking down at the floor. Although everything was hazy, she had a feeling that this was real and not a hallucination. What Spencer was saying made sense, and definitely seemed like something he would say, so Sam came to the conclusion that she would listen to him. "Kay.." She replied quietly.

"Alright, good." Spencer smiled. "So let's talk." He finished as she looked back up at him. Sam stared at him curiously for a second until she realized he was waiting for _her_ to start saying something.

"H-huh...?" The sick girl stuttered out weakly, not knowing how or where to begin. She was still a bit confused about this as it was a whole new experience to her. Whenever she got in trouble, she'd just get yelled at and punished, simple as that. Sam had gotten so used to that system that when she was confronted with Spencer's technique, she had been caught extremely off guard. Plus she was really tired and didn't know if she had the strength to keep a long conversation going.

Spencer noticed her hesitation and decided to get the ball rolling. "Let's start with why you spit out the pill, ok?" He stated, keeping a gentle look on his face.

"Ok.." Sam paused for a moment, trying to think. "Um.." She looked over at him cautiously once more, and realized that any look of disapproval or judgment was gone from his face. He was legitimately listening to her side of the story...something no one else had ever attempted to do for her when she had gotten in trouble in the past. The blond girl gave a small sigh, finally realizing that it was safe to let out her feelings...if she could. "The pills...they make me feel bad.." She stated reluctantly.

"Bad? How so?" Spencer leaned forward curiously. "Like dizzy?" He asked, knowing she had puked a few times.

"No...well yes...but.." Sam closed her eyes in frustration. While the pills did make her feel dizzy and sick to her stomach, the side effect she truly hated was the way they blocked out her emotions. She wished she could just take Spencer and bring him inside her head for one second so he would understand what she was feeling as it seemed to be too hard to explain in words.

"It's alright, take your time.." Spencer added, noticing that the girl was starting to get flustered as she kept her eyes closed. He watched as she opened them up and stared back at him in a clouded state. It was obvious from her appearance that he was starting to loose her concentration.

"I wanna go back to Carly and Freddie.." Sam moaned, shutting her eyes once more. She really wished she could formulate a proper sentence and tell the man what was up, but her energy was running low, and in a mixture of exhaustion and frustration, she started to feel a bit of panic rise up in her chest. Spencer looked over at the pale girl and wondered if he should continue this at another time but quickly shook the thought out of his head as he realized she might be tempted to hide something else from him if he didn't settle this now.

"Ok, take it easy.." Spencer replied softly. "I don't want you to feel pressured. Just calm down." He added, wanting to bring her attention back.

"Kay.." Sam replied quietly, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She hated how pathetic she was sounding right now, especially since she had just whimpered out for her friends in a moment of panic right in front of Spencer. The two sat in silence for ten seconds until Sam finally opened her eyes again.

"You alright?" Spencer asked patiently, wanting to make sure the conversation went at her pace.

"I'm ok.." Sam sighed.

"Do you want a drink or anything, or.." Spencer started to ask, trying to make her feel more at ease until the blond girl shook her head no.

"I'll explain.." Sam replied quietly.

"Huh?"

"The pills, why...." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them once more. "I'll explain best I can.." Sam spoke hesitantly, looking back up at him.

"Alright." Spencer smiled, noticing that his patient was starting to focus once more.

"The medication, makes me feel like..." Sam paused, unsure of what word to use to describe it. "...this." She added, mentally kicking herself as she knew she wasn't giving Spencer a good explanation.

"This?" He asked curiously. He understood that she was referring to her current state of mind, but the man still couldn't tell how she was feeling from such a broad statement. Spencer knew what she looked like, and how out of it she was, but he realized those were only simple observations. He needed to hear Sam's side.

"This." Sam confirmed quietly. "I mean, look at me...I'm messed up.." She moaned.

"Take it easy there." Spencer gave her a gentle smile as he reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder, not wanting the girl to start berating herself. "I understand you're a little foggy, but you don't have to worry about that."

"Worry.." Sam repeated, closing her eyes. "Everyone tells me to stop worrying.." She sighed. "But I don't feel right, I don't feel like myself." She spoke softly as Spencer continued to listen. This was what he wanted to hear.

"You don't feel like yourself...and that bothers you.." He added as Sam opened her eyes.

"Yes." She replied, grateful that he was starting to see her point of view. "I can't say the right thing, I can't laugh when I think something is funny..." She paused for a moment. "I just can't....think."

"And this makes you feel uneasy?" Spencer asked as the girl nodded.

"Yeah...I mean, when I'm around you.....Carly...and Freddie..it's like, I'm someone else...but at the same time, I'm me." Sam took a deep breath. "I see what's going on, but I have barely any control.....over how I act."

"Because of the medication, right?"

"Yes." Sam nodded appreciatively. "I spit the pill out...because..it...makes me feel unnatural.." She sighed, starting to feel more and more tired.

"Alright, I see what you mean." Spencer gave her a small smile. "And I can see why you're scared." He added as the girl looked up at him hesitantly.

_'Scared?'_ Sam thought for a moment. At first she was a bit insulted that Spencer used such a weak word to describe her until she realized something.....he was right. She _was _scared. "How can I stop...from feeling this way..?" Sam asked weakly.

Spencer paused for a moment, trying to think. Skipping the medication was a definite no, as everyone saw what consequence that action had done to the poor girl's injury, so he decided to try and figure out a way to alleviate her fears without taking her off the pills. "Ok.." He sighed, making sure he got this right. "You say that you hate feeling this way when you're with us, right?"

"Yes." Sam replied quietly.

"Why is that exactly? What makes you so nervous to be around us?"

"Well..." Sam thought for a moment. "Whenever I talk to you guys, I feel like I'm rude...and unappreciative."

"Unappreciative?" Spencer asked curiously.

"Yeah. Carly and Freddie do all these.....nice things for me...and I can't remember showing any appreciation...even though I feel it. Tons of it." Sam sighed, closing her eyes. She desperately wanted to go to sleep at this point.

"Oh I see.." Spencer murmured, finally figuring out the conclusion the girl was leading up to. "You don't like the way the pills make you act because you're scared about what _we _think of your behavior?"

"Huh?" Sam asked weakly, opening her eyes and looking back up at him. She was getting even more tired and starting to loose focus. Spencer realized this as her eyes started to glaze over a bit more dramatically. Because of this, he decided to wrap things up for her and put her mind at ease.

"Sam, you don't have to worry about what we think of you. We know that the medicine is messing with your head, and we understand that you're going to be a bit off."

"You do..?" Sam asked quietly.

"Of course." Spencer smiled. "And you don't have to be afraid that you aren't showing us enough appreciation. Carly, Freddie and I truly understand that you're thankful, even if you're too foggy to mention it."

"Really?"

"Yes." Spencer smiled. "So please don't worry that little blond head of yours over nothing." He replied, reaching over and ruffling her hair a bit. "You're not upsetting any of us, so just calm down and relax."

"Calm down?" Sam asked, feeling her eyes lids close a little more than half way. _'Carly told me that before...back when she pulled me out of the shower..' _Sam thought lazily, trying to put her thoughts together. _'She told me I needed to calm down and relax....and that she didn't mind how I acted...as well as Freddie and Spencer...' _Just then the blond girl's eyes opened up as if she was slapped in the face with a large dose of reality.

"Sam, are you ok?" Spencer asked, having realized she seemed to be daydreaming and was snapped out of it by whatever she was thinking of.

"Yeah I'm o-ok." She stuttered out, having temporarily forgotten that she was still talking to Spencer. The blond girl couldn't help but realize that both he and Carly had basically told her the same thing about how they didn't mind her behavior. And by the way Freddie was treating her, it was obvious that he didn't mind either. All this time her friends were desperately trying to get this simple point across to her, and only now had she finally realized what they meant. After coming upon this revelation, Sam felt a huge burden lift off her mind. While the medication was still in effect, as the sick girl confirmed this by looking back up at Spencer and seeing the familiar haze, she realized it didn't have to crush her spirits. She finally understood that she could hang out with her friends and relax with them comfortably without feeling so nervous about what they were thinking. The guilt was finally gone, and once she found out her friends didn't mind her unemotional responses, she no longer felt mad at herself for acting in such a manner. For the first time in a while, Sam finally felt at ease.

"Hey kiddo, you doing alright?" Spencer asked once more, noticing that Sam had been staring into space for a total of twenty seconds now.

"Yeah." Sam looked up at him and mustered up all of her strength to give him a small smile. "I feel better."

"Well I'm glad to hear that!" Spencer smiled happily at her. "So you're going to take my advice to relax now?"

"Mhm." Sam nodded, lazily letting out a yawn. While she had managed to stay focused during the majority of the conversation, she couldn't help but realize how quickly her mind was fading.

"That's good." Spencer replied softly. "And as for the pills, we'll wean you off them as the pain dies down, but for now you take them as directed, alright?"

"Kay.." Sam replied quietly, starting to feel her eye lids go down, managing to keep them open just a bit.

"So that means no more skipping doses, ok?" Spencer gave a small chuckle. "Or any other sneaky moves like that."

"Alright.." Sam replied unemotionally. Although this time, she felt no guilt about her dead pan response when she saw Spencer smile back at her.

"Good." He chuckled. "Now let's go see if Carly and Freddie have finished their bagels." Spencer smiled, holding out his hand for her. He was relieved to see that he had been able to reach out to the girl and make her realize she didn't have to be afraid or guilty of her behavior.

"Ok." Sam replied quietly, looking up at him gratefully as she took his hand. Because of Spencer's comforting words, she finally understood that she wasn't being judged by her friends and could recover with them peacefully without hiding anything.

* * *

**I wanted to make this a really nice scene between Spencer and Sam! (See?--I didn't forget about you Spams out there lol!) **

**I also kind of got this idea from when Spencer was trying to diagnose Sam's dreams in iDate a Bad Boy. Instead, this time he diagnosed her feelings and helped her out. ^_^ **

**Sorry for the lack of jokes in this chapter though! It just didn't seem right to put any in at this particular moment. :P**


	61. Chicken Soup

"Good." He chuckled. "Now let's go see if Carly and Freddie have finished their bagels." Spencer smiled, holding out his hand for her. He was relieved to see that he had been able to reach out to the girl and make her realize she didn't have to be afraid or guilty of her behavior.

"Ok." Sam replied quietly, looking up at him gratefully as she took his hand. Because of Spencer's comforting words, she finally understood that she wasn't being judged by her friends and could recover with them peacefully without hiding anything.

* * *

Just as he did before, Spencer led Sam out of his room while she leaned against him for balance. As they walked together slowly, Spencer couldn't help but notice how clammy the girl's hands were as they grasped his arm, despite the amount of body heat coming off the rest of her. It was obvious she was still running a fever so he made a small note to check that once she was settled back in with her friends. The two eventually made their way back into the living room as Carly and Freddie looked up from the couch.

"Hey guys.." Carly greeted them cautiously. She studied her best friend's face but wasn't able to tell what Sam was thinking as the girl continued to look pretty unresponsive.

"Hey.." Spencer gave them a small smile as he led Sam towards the couch slowly. "You guys finish your bagels?"

"Yup." Freddie replied as he scooted out of the way and over to the right side of the couch so Sam could sit in the middle. Spencer helped her slowly sit back down into the cushions. Sam let out a soft moan as she held her stomach while bending down. Once she was finally settled in, Spencer took the back of his hand and placed it against her forehead.

"You're still warm..." He murmured, standing back up. "I'm going to get the thermometer again. You just sit here and chill out until I get back, alright?" Spencer gave her a small smile.

"Chill...kay.." Sam replied, closing her eyes as she laid her head against the back of couch lazily, remembering that still she felt a bit chilly. With one last smile, Spencer turned around and walked out of the living room.

"So.." Freddie started to say curiously as Sam opened her eyes back up and looked a him. "You ok?"

"Yeah.." Sam replied softly.

"Spencer do alright?" Carly asked hesitantly, hoping her friend wasn't yelled at too badly. The kids were surprised when Sam gave them a small smile.

"Yeah, he do alright.." She repeated her friend's words, not bothering to correct the grammar for her response. She then closed her eyes once more and sighed. Carly and Freddie glanced over and smiled at each other. Whatever Spencer did, it was obvious that he made sure to take it easy on their friend and even managed to put her in a better mood somehow.

"Alrighty.." Spencer called out as he came back into the room. "Let's check on that temperature." He walked back over towards the front of the couch and scooted past the kid's legs and sat down on the table, facing Sam. The girl slowly opened her eyes along with her mouth, fully knowing the routine. Spencer reached over and placed the thermometer under her tongue before glancing back down at his wrist watch. The kids sat in silence once more as they waited until the time was up. The man continued to watch the minutes click by until it was time to check. "Ok..let's see what we have here now.." He said gently, reaching over and pulling the thermometer out of Sam's mouth.

"Well?" Carly asked curiously. She knew that if Sam's temperature went up it could pose a big problem.

"99.1" Spencer read out the numbers.

"That's what it was before." Freddie replied, having remembered that detail.

"Seems like your temperature has stabilized.." Spencer replied as he looked down at Sam. "It's not getting worse but..."

"Not getting better.." Sam sighed.

"Well don't worry, I think it will get lower in time.." Spencer smiled as he patted her knee. "Meanwhile, we'll keep an eye on it until it does." He stated softly as he stood up. "Do you want anything?" He asked as Sam thought for a moment. It wasn't until now that the girl had realized her nausea had gone down drastically, and although she wasn't ready for anything like a toasted bagel with cream cheese, she did notice she was a bit hungry.

"Um...soup?" Sam asked quietly. Freddie and Carly looked over at her, a bit surprised she'd want food.

"Chicken noodle?" Spencer smiled.

"Yes..." She added.

"Ok then!" He replied as he started to walk towards his bathroom. "I'll put away the thermometer and head on to the kitchen to cook you up some of the good stuff." He smiled. "Be right back!" And with that the man disappeared from the room. Carly then turned around to face her friend.

"So I take it your stomach's feeling better?"

"Yeah I'm ok......won't puke.." Sam confirmed softly.

"That's good." Freddie smiled. "And you're not dizzy anymore?" He asked as the blond girl looked over at him. He noticed that her eyes were still glazed and wavered a bit as she was still having trouble focusing her attention.

"It's funky.." She sighed, referring to her eye sight as everything still had a weird tilt to it, but it wasn't as drastic as before. Of course, that didn't mean she could stand up and run around as if everything was normal. Her balance was still a bit iffy. "I can deal though.." Sam confirmed quietly, feeling sleepy. Both Carly and Freddie realized that the sick girl was getting tired from their questions and decided to hold off from asking anymore for the time being.

"Ok.." Spencer stated as he came back out, jogging across the living room. "And away to the kitchen I go." He stated dramatically, holding his arms out in front of him as if he were Superman. Both Carly and Freddie chuckled while Sam let off a small sigh, her equivalent response to laughing at this point. The medication was still blocking her from reacting properly.

As Spencer started his task of cooking in the kitchen, Sam glanced over at Carly. "What you guys...talk...bout when I was gone.." She stated slowly, wanting to get rid of the silence between the three of them.

"Hm? Oh, nothing really." Carly smiled at her friend. "Freddie and I were just discussing some new bits for iCarly."

"Yup." Freddie smiled. "We were thinking about doing something with animals.."

"Animals..?" Sam asked curiously, trying to stay focused.

"Yeah, remember how we dressed up that wiener dog as a pig?" Freddie smiled as Sam gave a weak nod. "I thought it would be funny it we did more stuff that involved animals."

"Yeah, like a chicken." Carly laughed.

"Or a parrot."

"Snake.." Sam added quietly. The two kids abruptly stopped their laughter and looked over at her in surprise.

"No way!" Carly quickly exclaimed with a chuckle. "No snakes!"

"Boring.." Sam sighed, closing her eyes.

"Fine, we'll bring a snake on but YOU have to hold it. Not me." Carly laughed. Sam just stayed silent, not responding. The kids looked at each other, wondering if she was fading out. There was a small period of silence until Sam finally spoke up.

"What else...?" She asked tiredly, keeping her eyes closed. Carly and Freddie looked over at each other and smiled. They knew what Sam was trying to do. She wanted them to keep talking, even if she couldn't, and they had no problem with that.

"Well, we also thought of some more ideas.." Freddie started to say.

* * *

A short amount of time had passed as Carly and Freddie continued to talk about various things involving their webshow. Sam was quiet for the majority of it, adding some input here and there, but mostly deciding to let her friends run the conversation. She felt really comfortable just listening to them talk as it helped take her mind off the chills and fever.

"Soup's done!" Spencer stated happily as he walked out from the kitchen with a steaming bowl in hand. Sam slowly opened up her eyes as the man walked over towards her.

"Here, I've got it.." Carly explained as her brother handed her the bowl.

"It's not boiling so you can touch it." Spencer confirmed to the girls.

Carly nodded in appreciation and turned towards Sam. "Can you hold it?" Carly asked reluctantly, not wanting to offend Sam by inferring she might not have the strength to hold up a bowl of soup. She felt the need to ask the question just in case her friend was too weak.

"Yeah...it's ok.." The blond girl replied unemotionally as she picked up the bowl from her friend and settled it onto her lap. Sam took no offense as she knew her friend was just trying to help out. She couldn't help but let a small sigh as the warm sensation the soup gave off made her legs feel better.

"That's good." Freddie smiled as he watched Sam pick up a spoonful of the broth and rise it to her lips.

_'This is yummy..'_ Sam thought as she continued to slurp down the soup slowly. The hot liquid did an amazing job of calming her chills as it slid down her throat and into her stomach. Plus the small chunks of chicken and vegetables in the broth were a nice touch that didn't upset her nausea at all. With a small sigh of comfort, Sam rose the spoon to her mouth once more to take another delicious slurp.

Meanwhile, both Carly and Freddie were relieved to see that their friend wasn't having trouble feeding herself like before with the applesauce. It was apparent that the medication wasn't affecting her basic hand-eye coordination skills as drastically like before when she was loopy. The kids noticed that all the medication seemed to be doing right now was making her feel drained. Either way, they were just glad that she was able to eat. It was quiet as Sam continued to work on her bowl of soup until a low beep disrupted the silence. The kids noticed it was coming from Spencer's watch. Everyone looked over at him curiously, except for Sam who was currently lost in the goodness of her soup.

"Oh!" He looked down at his wrist. "Seems like Sam has to take another dose of Vicodin.." He stated quietly. Upon hearing this, Sam stopped slurping her soup and looked over at him.

"Ok.." She replied quietly. She couldn't help but feel depressed that the whole cycle was going to start again.

"Let me just grab another pill.." Spencer spoke softly as he walked over to the counter and found the medicine bottle. He popped it open and pulled out a single pill. With a small sigh, he walked back over to Sam and held it out to her. "Here ya go kiddo." He couldn't help but feel guilty as he noticed the defeated look on her face when she took the pill and put it into her mouth. He waited a few moments as she took a few more spoonfuls of soup and slurped them down along with her medicine. "That ok?"

"Yeah.." Sam replied, obviously depressed.

"Well hey.." Spencer gave her a small smile. "After that soup, why don't you take a nice long nap alright? That'll make you feel better."

"Kay..." Sam replied quietly, agreeing with him as she felt her eye lids continuing to grow more and more heavy the longer she stayed awake.

"Alright, well I'm going to go back to my room." Spencer smiled as he stood up and walked behind the couch. Sam stayed quiet as she continued to eat her soup. The man paused for a moment, looking at the back of her head, before he saw Carly look back at him. He decided to use this moment to tell her something silently, as he pointed two of his fingers towards his eyes and then one back to Sam. Carly nodded her head, fully understanding what his signal meant. She was definitely going to keep an eye on her best friend and make sure that pill stayed in this time. "Ok.." Spencer called out. "You just call if you need more soup ok?" He told Sam, who continued to stay quiet.

"Thanks Spence." Carly decided to answer in place of her best friend.

"Yup. We'll call you if we need anything." Freddie nodded as Spencer smiled.

"Alright, see you later guys!" Spencer stated as he walked out of the living room. Once he was gone, Freddie turned towards Carly.

"What does he do in his room for hours?" The boy asked curiously

"Oh, whenever he gets a new idea for a sculpture or art project, he locks himself in his room and draws in his sketchpad until he comes up with a good design to work off of."

"Oh.." Freddie replied. "Wonder what he's working on next.."

* * *

Meanwhile, Spencer made his way back into his room and shut his door. Her then looked over at his computer desk and saw the newly purchased sketchpads he had brought in with him laying on top of it.

"Alrighty...Sam'll probably fade out after the soup, so I don't think she'll have anymore trouble for a while.." The man smiled as he picked one up of the sketchpads and flipped the top page over. "So that means...it's time to start drawing!" He chimed happily as he walked over to his bed and sat down. As he started scribbling, he heard a small sound come from his left and glanced over towards the source of the noise, wondering what it was. There was a short pause until he noticed the covers next to him started to move.

"WHOA!" Spencer exclaimed as he jumped up, his sketchpad and pencil flying into the air before hitting the floor with a thud. "What the..?" He asked curiously as he heard the lump start to growl. Spencer knew he had heard this noise before. The man walked over and quickly pulled the covers off in one fluid motion to reveal....

"Frothy!" Spencer cried out, revealing the plump gray cat to the world. "You snuck into my room." He smiled. The cat just yawned and laid on his side. "Fine, you can stay, but no more sneaking around, ok?" Spencer laughed as the cat huffed.

"Mreh."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the living room, Sam had finally finished up her soup. The broth gave off a warm sensation as it sat in her stomach, making her feel a lot better than before. Although she couldn't help but notice that she was even more tired....if that was even possible. She knew she was on the verge of falling asleep sitting upright.

"Want me to take that from you?" Freddie asked gently, having noticed she was finished.

"Yes.." She replied quietly.

"Alright." Freddie smiled as he reached over and picked up the bowl from her lap. He then stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

Carly looked over at Sam and watched her best friend yawn before closing her eyes as her head tilted to the side. "Want to go to bed upstairs?" Carly asked as Sam shook her head no.

"I'll stay down here.." The girl replied quietly.

"Oh..." Carly responded, not expecting that reply. She knew Sam was tired and couldn't figure out why she rejected the idea of going to bed so much. Still, the brunette girl decided to push that thought to the side for now. "Well, do you want to lay down at least?" She offered, noticing that her friend was seemingly starting to fall asleep sitting. Sam opened her eyes up again lazily.

"Kay.." She replied quietly as she started to turn around on the couch.

"Here." Carly reached over towards her right side and pulled out the pillow that was next to her. "Take this to splint your stomach."

"Thanks.." Sam replied unemotionally as her best friend handed her the pillow. The blond girl then placed it over her incision and applied some pressure to it as she laid her head down on the right side of the couch. After shuffling a bit with a few winces, Sam managed to turn herself around so she was now laying down on her back, resting her feet on Carly's lap.

"Alright, I put the bowl in the sink and.." Freddie's voice trailed off as he walked back into the living room. He couldn't help but chuckle as he realized that he had lost his position on the couch once more since Sam was now laying down over his spot. The boy looked across the room and realized that the chair next to Carly was free now. "Looks like I'm sitting over here.." He smiled as he made his way over towards it.

"I wonder where Frothy went." Carly laughed as Freddie sat down in the chair that was previously occupied by the stubborn cat. The boy looked over at her and shrugged.

"Oh well...my seat now." He stated triumphantly as the two kids laughed.

"So Sam...do you have any idea where your cat went?" Carly asked as she looked over at her best friend. The blond girl's eyes were now closed as her head tilted to the side on the pillow. Low snores were coming from deep within her throat, making it quite obvious that she had already fallen asleep.

"That was fast." Freddie murmured.

"Indeed." Carly responded with a laugh. The two kids decided to switch the TV over to the guide channel once more and find another show to watch as their friend slept.


	62. Freddie To The Rescue

Hours passed as everything remained quiet in the Shay apartment. Carly and Freddie sat patiently on the couch while Sam slept. Spencer continued to sit in his room, sketching up a storm. He was now laying on his bed, resting his back upright against the headboard with his feet sprawled out in front of him. Frothy had positioned himself at the foot of the bed by Spencer's feet and sat there quietly. On the floor were a bunch of crumpled pieces of paper laying around the bed in a pile.

"No.." Spencer mumbled, looking down at his current drawing. He then grasped the edge of the white piece of paper and tore it off the sketchpad in one fluid motion. "..not good." He murmured, squeezing the unworthy idea into a ball and tossing it over the foot of the bed. Frothy watched the paper ball fly across the air and made a leap off the bed for it. Spencer couldn't help but chuckle once he saw the fat gray cat disappear....for the billionth time. Every time the man threw one of his sketches away, the cat would leap off the bed for the paper, paw it around on the floor, then jump back up and wait for the next one. Spencer stared at the foot of his bed for a moment, waiting for the cat's return until he realized Frothy wasn't coming back up.

"Hey, buddy?" Spencer asked curiously, leaning over the side to look at the floor. That was when he noticed Frothy was sitting by the door.

"Mrow." The cat looked over at him, twitching his tail a bit.

"Oh...so you're bored of me now?" Spencer chuckled as he set his sketchpad to the side and shuffled off his bed. He made his way over to the cat and looked down.

"Mrrooow..." Frothy held up his one front paw and lightly scratched the door.

"Alright." Spencer laughed. "You can go." The man reached over and pushed open the door a crack. The cat stood up and hobbled out. With a chuckle, Spencer closed the door back up once the cat was gone. "Funny little guy.." He smiled as he walked back over to his bed and sat back down.

* * *

Meanwhile, Frothy limped down the hallway and found his way back into the living room. Although this apartment was a new environment to him, he had figured out the layout by now. Once Frothy was in the main room, he stopped and glanced around, sniffing the air. Freddie was still sitting in his chair while Carly remained on the left side of the couch, gently resting her arms over her friend's legs. Sam continued to sleep and snore quietly as she laid on her back, dead to the world. The two kids who were up were too preoccupied with the TV to notice the cat's presence. Frothy started to move again and limped his way over to the couch. He sniffed the air once more and found the scent he was looking for. He abruptly stopped, turned to face the right side of the couch, and gently stood up on his hind legs. He rested his one front paw on the top of the couch cushions, making him stand face to face with Sam. The cat curiously cocked his head as he stared at his owner, almost as if he noticed she was asleep. He then reached over the couch, leaning on his stomach, and used his one front paw to pat the sleeping girl's cheek.

"Mrow.." The cat let off a small meow. Upon hearing this, Carly turned her attention over to her friend, shocked to hear such an odd noise come from Sam's direction.

"Huh?!" The brunette girl looked over worriedly until she saw Frothy pawing at Sam gently. "Oh, it's just you Frothy!" Carly exclaimed with a giggle, causing Freddie to look over.

"So that's where the cat is.." He laughed.

"Yeah." Carly looked over at Freddie and smiled. Their attention was disrupted though once Frothy let out another meow. The kids looked back at him to see that the cat was now leaning over the side of the couch, pushing his nose into the crook of Sam's neck, lightly nuzzling underneath her chin.

"Mm..nr...." Sam let off a small mumble as she turned her head to the side on the pillow, away from her pet.

"Oh, no Frothy! Don't!" Carly quickly replied as the cat looked up at her once hearing his name. "Don't wake her up."

"Yeah..let her sleep." Freddie replied as he sat forward in his seat and held his hand out to the ground. "C'mere...psh..psh...psh..." The boy snapped his fingers quietly to get the cat's attention. Frothy stared back at him as if to say _'nice try...but no.'. _The kids watched as the cat turned his attention back to his owner and started to crouch down onto the floor, all the while keeping his eyesight up at Sam. Both Carly and Freddie could tell that this was a cat's position right before they jumped.

"No!" Carly quickly exclaimed, shuffling out from under Sam's feet and standing up. She ran around the front of the table to try and pick up Frothy but it was too late. The cat sprang into action as he jumped up and on top of Sam's face. He landed with his one front paw on top of her neck, and his hind legs on her shoulder.

"Gurk.." Sam instantly started to choke as the weight was placed on her neck, blocking her airway. By now Carly had quickly bent over, and managed to pick the cat up off the sick girl. Frothy let off a small meow of protest when he felt himself being lifted and dragged away from his owner. As Carly tried to calm the saddened cat down in her arms, Sam continued to moan and let off a few coughs. Freddie had also gotten up from his seat by now and rushed over to the left side of the couch. Carly backed out of the way so he could crouch down next to Sam and tend to her.

"Hey Sam? You alright..?" He asked worriedly, putting a hand against her forehead to calm her down as she just had a pretty rude awakening and was most likey confused as all heck. The two kids watched as the blond girl took a few deep breaths before opening her eyes.

"Ow.." She moaned, lazily bringing a hand up to her throat as she stared at what seemed to be a big blur. Freddie and Carly watched curiously as she glanced around the room in a haze. They waited patiently as Sam looked around awkwardly, trying to clear her eyesight. Shapes and colors were finally starting to form in the room as she realized Freddie was crouching down right next to her looking worried while Carly was standing in the background. Carly looked just as concerned as Freddie did, although Sam couldn't tell for the life of her why her best friend was also holding up her cat. The whole image was weird and felt like a dream. "What..?" Sam asked weakly, closing her eyes once more.

"Um...Frothy kind of jumped up on you before we could stop him." Freddie tried to explain to the foggy girl. "He woke you up."

"Woke me up..?" Sam replied weakly, trying to register everything he was saying in her head.

"Yeah, are you alright? Your cat managed to land on your neck and choke you." Freddie added cautiously. He watched as Sam opened her eyes once more and stared back up at him.

_'Alright..? Am I alright..?' _She thought tiredly, trying to focus her attention. It was hard to wake up normally, but being woken up abruptly like this was even more of a shock to her system, and she couldn't think right. All Sam could tell was that she was laying down and everyone was staring down at her. She felt uncomfortable about this and decided to make a move to sit up. "Urf.." She moaned as she bent her stomach and tried to pull herself up by using the top of the couch as leverage.

"Easy.." Freddie replied, putting his hands against her back for support. Sam once again looked over at him, hoping that the weird dreamy feeling she was going through would disappear if she could look at her friends face to face. Unfortunately it had the opposite effect. As the blond girl looked back at Freddie, his face seemed to be tilting towards the left, as the background spun behind him. She couldn't even see Carly anymore as everything was a big dizzy blur.

"God.." Sam moaned, shutting her eyes. Freddie felt her weight slump back into his hands as she lost all strength.

"Are you alright??" The boy asked worriedly, still keeping her in an upright position.

"No.." Sam managed to choke out, feeling her stomach roll over. "So dizzy.." She mumbled. Upon hearing this, Carly quickly set the cat back down on the floor and reached over for the garbage can. Freddie looked over to his right as he saw the brunette girl crouch down alongside him, getting ready for what may happen next.

"Are you going to be sick?" Freddie asked worriedly as he looked back at Sam. The blond girl just let off a small moan.

"Stop moving." She muttered.

"Here, why don't we put this under.." Carly started to say, holding up the garbage can until Freddie cut her off.

"Wait, I wanna try something.." Freddie quickly responded. "Sam.." He stated looking back over at the sick girl, knowing he had to act fast. "Why don't you lay down again.." He spoke softly, keeping his hands against her back as he lowered her down to the couch once more.

"Mm.." Sam let off a soft moan, making no struggle to refuse as she was too weak and tired. Carly stayed quiet as she watched Freddie lay her best friend back down. She made sure to keep the garbage can right next to the edge of the couch just in case Sam ended up getting sick again, which had a very high possibility of happening.

"Alright, now close your eyes." Freddie instructed Sam. The sick girl looked up at him cautiously, trying to figure out what he said.

"So dizzy.." She mumbled, watching her friend's faces spin around. Her stomach was feeling pretty gross and she wasn't sure how long her food would stay down.

"Close your eyes.." Freddie replied gently once more, placing a hand over her eyes himself as he knew Sam wasn't able to follow directions that well right now. The blond girl let off a small moan as she felt Freddie's cool hand settle on top of her head, masking her eyesight in complete darkness. "Now I want you to take a deep breath and calm down." The boy stated quietly.

"Can't...world..spinning.." Sam mumbled, swallowing hard. Her nausea was going to hit its breaking point if everything didn't stop moving.

"It's alright...nothing's spinning." Freddie reminded her as he kept his right hand over her eyes while gently picking up her left hand with his own. He softly grasped the sick girl's weak hand, lacing his fingers in between hers, as he held it firmly. He hoped that this simple action of holding hands would give her back some sort of balance since it worked in the hospital before.

Sam inhaled a deep breath and let it out shakily. Carly watched patiently in silence, making sure the garbage can was grasped firmly in between her fingers incase this didn't work. She was determined to make sure she was there for her friend if Sam eventually ended up getting sick. As the trio sat in silence for a bit, they realized that maybe the dizzy girl wasn't going to puke this time. Still, Freddie made sure he kept his hands in place for a little while longer as Sam didn't make a sound.

_'Ok....ok..' _The sick girl mumbled in her head. _'I'm dizzy but it feels like it's starting to stop..' _She thought, seeing nothing but darkness. Her stomach was still right on the fence, and any little movement could easily make her throw up, so she decided to stay as still as possible. There was a long pause as she continued to stay in the quiet darkness until she realized that the dizziness was finally starting to subside. At first the girl wasn't sure why, but then she noticed it was because something was holding her hand, grasping it firmly. Sam made a small note that whatever it was, the small action seemed to be doing an amazing job of pulling her mind back into reality. The world stopped spinning and soon everything started to feel normal again....well, as normal as anything could feel at this point. She was still incredibly sick and on medication.

"I think she's calming down..." Freddie whispered to Carly. He had felt the temperature of Sam's hand go from warm to ice cold in a matter of seconds, reflecting the girl's worry, but it was starting to go back to normal, signaling that there was a possibility she was feeling better. The trio sat in silence for a little longer just to make sure. Even Frothy had stayed on the floor next to Carly patiently, as he knew something was wrong. Finally, Sam made the first move to show she was alright.

"Ugh.." She moaned, lazily putting her free hand on top of Freddie's and pulling it off her eyes gently.

"Are you ok?" Carly asked as Sam looked back up at them.

"Yeah, I'm ok..." She replied quietly.

"That's good." Freddie stated, relieved. He sat back on his heels and unhooked his hand from Sam's in order to give the girl some space. "Although I think you should stay lying down for a minute, so you don't get dizzy again."

"I agree.." Sam replied, shutting her eyes once more. While the majority of it was over, she still felt a bit off balance and uneasy, but at least she was past the point of throwing up. "What happened?" Sam asked weakly, opening her eyes up and glancing at her best friends.

"Um, Frothy here kind of jumped up on you." Carly gave her a sheepish smile as she sat the garbage can back down on the floor, realizing that they weren't going to be needing it.

"Frothy?" Sam asked curiously, tilting her head over slightly to see her cat sitting on the floor.

"Yeah, he landed on your throat and sort of..choked you." Freddie added with an apologetic shrug.

"Mroow.." Frothy mewed out weakly. Sam couldn't help but let off a small chuckle.

"Stupid cat. Gotta love him." She smiled, closing her eyes. Frothy walked back over to the edge of the couch and sat back up on his hind legs, pawing at Sam's cheek again. She opened her eyes and looked at him curiously.

"Why is he so...fidgety?" Freddie asked as he and Carly watched the cat continued to try and get Sam's attention. The blond girl stared at him for a moment.

"He's...hungry.." She finally deduced, closing her eyes.

"Hungry?" Carly asked as Frothy let out another loud meow, as if to confirm the question. "Oh ok, well I have some dry food up in my room. I'll bring him up there so he can eat." The brunette girl stated as she scooped up the gray cat in her arms and stood up. Freddie watched as Carly started to walk towards the stairs when Frothy started to fidget around in her grasp.

"Um, I don't think he wants that.." Freddie stated cautiously as he stood up. Sam managed to open her eyes back up and glance over the back of the couch to see her best friend having a hard time containing her pet.

"MROW!" Frothy cried out as Carly tried to calm him down in her arms.

"What's wrong with this cat?!" She asked weakly. As Frothy continued to struggle, Carly finally gave up the fight and gently placed him back down on the floor. All three kids watched as the cat scurried across the room, over to the kitchen, and jumped up onto one of the chairs.

"Wow! That cat moves fast for having three legs!" Freddie murmured in surprise. Sam just continued to watch her cat lazily, also a bit confused at what the heck he was doing. Although, when she saw him sniffing the counter, it suddenly became clear to her.

"He wants..chicken.." Sam mumbled, shutting her eyes.

"Huh?" Carly asked as she walked back over towards the couch and looked down at her friend. "Chicken?"

"Mhm." Sam nodded, looking up at Carly. "Spencer made chicken soup over there...he can smell it.."

"Ooooh." Freddie replied, finally understanding. "Man, that cat is finicky." He let off a small chuckle.

"I'll go get him some pieces of chicken." Carly laughed as she started to walk over towards the kitchen.

"Uh Carls?" Sam asked weakly, sitting up a bit in her spot on the couch, wincing slightly with the movement.

"Yeah?" She turned her attention back to her best friend.

"Can I have some more chicken soup?"

"Of course." Carly smiled. "Spencer poured the rest into a thermos and put it into the fridge. I can heat up another bowl for you."

"Thanks.." Sam offered her a small smile before sitting back down into the couch cushions. Carly then turned around and walked into the kitchen to get the food set for Sam and Frothy.

"So.." Freddie stated as he walked over to his chair and sat back down. "Think you can stomach a bowl of soup?"

"Yeah.." Sam replied quietly, closing her eyes. "Don't know what the heck you did, but I don't feel pukey right now."

"That's good." Freddie smiled. The two kids sat in silence as Carly finished up in the kitchen and came out with two bowls in each hand. Frothy jumped off the chair and followed the girl back into the living room.

"One for you.." She stated softly, placing a bowl of chopped up chicken on the table as Frothy jumped up onto the short table and stuck his head in. "..and one for you." She smiled towards Sam as she sat down on the couch by her friend's feet.

"Thanks.." The blond girl replied as she struggled to sit back up. Carly held her hand out for Sam to use for balance to pull herself up. Carly couldn't help but notice that her friend continued to wince as she sat up. It was obvious she still felt a bit of pain.

"You alright?" The brunette girl asked, wanting to make sure her friend was ok sitting upright this time.

"No worries.." Sam gave her a small smile as she shuffled around on the couch so her feet were resting on the floor. She then took the bowl of soup from her friend and settled it down on her lap once more. After swirling the spoon in the broth a bit, Sam took it out and slurped it down. "Mmm..." She replied. _'Spencer makes really good soup..'_

"Taste alright?" Carly asked.

"Mhm." Sam replied, not taking her eyes off her meal. For once, she felt really content. Tired and drained, but content.

"Glad to hear that." Freddie replied before looking down at Frothy. The cat was crouching down on the table, chomping happily on the pieces of chicken Carly cut up for him. His tail twitched excitedly as he continued to swallow the scrumptious pieces of meat. Freddie couldn't help but smile as he looked at both Sam and the cat together. It was obvious that the two were lost in the deliciousness of their meals. _'If Frothy wasn't a cat, I'd swear that he was directly related to Sam.' _The boy chuckled in his mind. Frothy was probably the only creature in the world that shared as much excitement as Sam did for meat.

* * *

**Hmm, so it looks like Freddie was able to calm Sam down and stop her from puking this time. Maybe he _should_ become a nurse. xD**

**(And I apologize in advance for any errors or choppy sentences you might find in this chapter! I wrote it out early this morning, and will admit that it came out as a rush job as I did it before some last minute homework! I _was_ able to proofread it a few times, but I'm running late to class now, so I'll have to re-read it when I get back! Hope you guys like it! =P)  
**


	63. Faking Sleep

Sam had finished up her soup as the kids kept their attention to the TV. She gently reached over with a small wince and set the bowl on the table before scooting back over on the couch and laying down once more. Carly looked over as her friend rested her feet on her lap.

"You want anymore soup?" She asked.

"Nah, that's alright. Thanks." Sam gave a small smile of appreciation which Carly returned.

"Mroow." Frothy let off a small meow, having finished as well.

"Um, does he want anymore?" The brunette girl asked her best friend, unsure of the cat's different responses.

"Nope, he's done too." Sam replied as Frothy began to stretch out his hind legs lazily on the table. The girls watched as the cat then began to make his way over to the couch. He stopped at the edge of the table, and looked curiously at his owner. Because he only had one front paw, he was getting in position to make a hop to the couch....right onto Sam's incision.

"Whoa there kitty." Freddie gave a gentle laugh as he stood up from his chair and quickly grabbed the cat. "No more of that."

"RRRrrrrrrwww..." Frothy let out a growl, displeased to be in the boy's arms.

"Ok ok!" Freddie quickly replied, turning around towards Carly and placing the cat down next to her.

"Mreh." Frothy huffed, settling himself in between Carly's leg and the left side of the couch. The cat somehow realized that for whatever reason they weren't allowing him to go over to Sam, so he decided to stay put.

"Sorry Frothball.." Sam replied lazily, closing her eyes.

"It's alright.." Carly replied, looking down at the cat next to her as she started to scratch his ears. "He can hang by me for a while." She smiled. The cat looked up at her lovingly, accepting that.

"Hey Carly, Freddo.." Spencer stated quietly as he walked back into the room. He stopped when he noticed Frothy was sitting on the couch, currently enjoying his sister's company. "Oh, I see I've been replaced." He laughed.

"Huh?" Carly cocked an eyebrow.

"Nevermind." Spencer chuckled. "So, is Sam up?" He asked curiously, noticing she had her eyes closed.

"Yes." She replied quietly. "Why?"

"Four o'clock. Another pill." Spencer stated apologetically as Sam sighed.

_'Every time I start to feel better, I have to take that junk..'_ She thought bitterly. "Alright, well bring it on over." She sighed once more.

* * *

Spencer had finished giving Sam her next pill and returned back to his room. The girl had just eaten soup so luckily she didn't have to shove down any applesauce or toast along with it. Roughly ten minutes had passed since the last dose, and Sam was still laying on the couch, sprawled out on her back with her eyes closed. One of her hands was lazily draped across her stomach as the other rested by her right side. Carly was still sitting on the other side of the couch as her friend continued to use her as a foot rest. Frothy sat quietly, wedged in between the brunette girl's leg and left armrest of the couch, imitating his owner by having his head down and his eyes closed. Freddie was still sitting in his separate chair to the left side of the couch. The low hum of the TV continued to fill the room as the kids gazed at it lifelessly. With a small sigh, Freddie glanced back over towards the couch.

"Man, that soup really knocks her out huh?" He asked curiously as Carly looked over at him.

"You mean Sam?" She asked.

"Mhm." Freddie nodded.

"Well, Spencer's soup could knock an insomniac out. Although my brother's meal does have a bit of an advantage over Sam since she's on painkillers." Carly gave a small laugh.

"Yeah." Freddie smiled. "Although I don't think it needs the advantage. Sam doesn't exactly qualify as an 'insomniac'."

"What do you mean?" Carly asked curiously.

"That girl could drink twenty gallons of coffee and still manage to find a way to take a nap..sans Vicodin." He stated as they began chuckling.

"So true.." Carly agreed.

_'Better watch it Fredward..' _Sam thought tiredly in her head, pausing for a moment. _'You too Carlotta..'_ She finished, hearing every word that came out of her friends mouths. The truth was that the sick girl hadn't fallen asleep yet and was quite aware of everything being said around her. All she did was close her eyes and relax into the couch, but her friends mistook her appearance for sleeping. Still, Sam realized that despite what Carly and Freddie said, she wasn't really offended by their words. Her friends were just joking around and it was calming to listen to them talk. Although Sam did contemplate the idea of opening her eyes and telling them that she was still awake, but decided that at this point she'd rather just pretend to stay asleep and continue to chill out. She realized that even though she was tired of sleeping, she also too tired to do much else. She figured she'd meet her body halfway and just sit quietly on the couch. Plus, if her friends got too snarky with their jokes about her, she could always give them a nice swift kick. _'Kick..'_ Sam repeated the thought in her head, finding the word humorous for some reason. _'Kiiiick..'_ She started to say once more, hearing an echo waft through her mind. She was about to let a giggle slip out but quickly fought against making a noise. _'Crap, I'm going spacey, I can feel it..'_ Sam sighed, noticing that the Vicodin was taking over her mind once more. Upon this realization, the blond girl finally decided that along with talking, she'd stop thinking as well. Basically, she was just going to play dead on the couch.

* * *

Fortunately for Carly and Freddie, the two kids managed to avoid any further jokes about Sam as they chatted randomly for a few hours. They would pause every once in a while, to watch a thirty minute show or something, but then they generally resumed talking after the program finished. The kids still didn't know that their sick friend was awake the entire time, and to their luck they managed to keep the conversation off her for the most part. Sam continued to listen quietly, keeping her eyes closed as she relaxed along the couch. Every once in a while, she would drift out and miss what the heck her friends were talking about, but then her mind would refocus, bringing her back into the conversation. Either way, Sam knew she was basically in the throes of the medication, but understood that if she just relaxed, the side effects weren't so bad to deal with. With a small sigh, the girl re focused her attention once more and started to listen in on what Freddie was currently saying.

"So then I let him borrow the cable and the problem was solved." Freddie explained, finishing up yet another tech geek tale.

"Yay." Carly replied with a fake smile. _'Man is he boring..'_

"So, did you like that story?" Freddie asked, planting a huge smile on his face.

"Uh...well.." Carly started to say.

_'No..'_ Sam answered in her head for the brunette girl.

"No need to answer, because I know you didn't." Freddie cut Carly off.

"What?" She asked.

"That was the most boring one ever!" The boy smiled as he cocked one eyebrow smugly.

"Huh? But if you knew that then why did you tell it to me?!"

"That was payback for faking excitement over my other story hours ago." Freddie chuckled.

"You nerd." Carly laughed as she playfully picked up a pillow and tossed it over to the boy sitting in the chair.

"Hey now!" Freddie exclaimed, putting his hands in front of his face as the pillow bounced off harmlessly. "When did you turn into Sam?"

"Around the same time you decided to purposely bore me with these tech geek stories." Carly laughed.

_'Go Carls..'_ Sam thought proudly.

"Psh.." Freddie exclaimed, waving the brunette girl off. He then glanced over at Sam and realized the she still had her eyes closed although something was different. "Hey, I guess you were right about Sam.." He started to say.

"Huh?" Carly asked.

_'Yeah...huh?'_ Sam thought, intrigued to hear what the boy was talking about. Apparently Carly said something about her and she was curious what it was.

"She's not a snorer." Freddie exclaimed as he pointed over towards the girl laying motionless on the couch. "She hasn't made a peep for hours."

_'Snorer?'_ Sam thought awkwardly.

"Oh yeah, you're right.." Carly let off a small chuckle as she glanced over at her best friend. "She's not snoring anymore.."

_'Geeze, Carly and Freddie talk about me snoring when I'm asleep? They must be really stunted for conversation...'_ Sam paused for a moment. _'Wait a second...I don't snore!'_ She thought pitifully in defense. Although the girl quickly realized it was no use to try and debate as her friends couldn't hear her.

"So..since we're on the topic of Sam..." Freddie started to say as Carly looked back over at him.

_'Yes, since we're on the topic of me..' _Sam thought cautiously, wondering where he was going with this.

"...what are we going to do about tomorrow?" He finished.

"Tomorrow?" Carly asked.

"Yeah. I mean, it's a school day..." Freddie added with a small sigh.

"Oh.." Carly replied, not having realized this fact until now. "You're right.."

Suddenly Sam felt her heart sank. She too had forgotten about this small detail, and realized that her friends were going to have to leave her sometime.

"So what do we do?" Freddie asked once more.

"Well.." Carly thought for a moment. "I'm sure Spencer won't mind if I skip a day or two...for Sam's sake."

"That's true." Freddie smiled. "Although.... I might have to fight my mom a bit, but I think she'll understand in the end if I skip as well."

"Ok, so five day weekend it is." Carly replied as the two kids laughed.

Sam couldn't describe the amount of relief and happiness she felt after listening to her friends plan a way to stay with her. Even though she was still feeling pretty ill, just the fact of knowing that both Carly and Freddie were discussing ways to stay with her made her feel great. Sam couldn't help but feel herself smile until a small detail ripped it's way into her head, instantly shattering the moment.

"No..." Sam called out weakly, opening her eyes at the new realization.

"Huh? You're awake?" Freddie asked softly as he and Carly looked over at the girl, surprised to see her eyes open and looking over at them.

"Carly, you have to go to school tomorrow.." Sam moaned quietly.

"What are you talking about?" Carly asked gently, scooting over closer on the couch so she could hear her friend better. She wasn't sure if Sam had just woken up and was in a hazy state of mind or not. Either way, it was apparent by the girl's response that she had heard them talking about school.

"Big math test...Tuesday...can't miss." Sam sighed, suddenly feeling a lot more tired than before.

"Big math test..?" Carly repeated her friends words slowly until her eyes widened in realization. "Oh yeah! I totally forgot!" The brunette girl exclaimed.

"Forgot what?" Freddie asked curiously, noticing he was out of a loop as Carly seemed to know what Sam was mumbling about.

"I have this big math test tomorrow. The teacher said that anyone who doesn't go to class on Tuesday gets an automatic F."

"Yikes!" Freddie murmured. "That's a bit harsh. What if you said you were sick?"

"Won't work." Carly shook her head. "Mrs. Wilkins said that if you're not dying, you're not trying.." She moaned. "I can't believe I forgot about that.." Carly mumbled before looking over at Sam. "But how in the world did you remember?!"

"You told me on Friday.." Sam sighed, recalling that was day before she got appendicitis. "You were spazzin bout it.." The blond girl shut her eyes, feeling more and more drained.

"Oh yeah..that's right.." Carly replied quietly, remembering that she was indeed freaking out about that test and unloaded her panic onto Sam that day. "Didn't think you were listening though." She offered a small laugh.

"I always listen.." Sam gave a small smile before closing her eyes back up. "I just don't always respond.."

"I'll have to remember that." Carly chuckled before letting off a small sigh. "But still, you're right. I do have to go to school tomorrow..." She stated solemnly, hating the fact that she had to leave her sick friend.

"It's ok..." Sam replied quietly, keeping her eyes closed. Carly glanced over at Freddie as the two shared a look. It was obvious by Sam's tone of voice that she was depressed by this fact.

"Well hey.." Freddie spoke softly as Sam opened her eyes back up. "I can probably stay here tomorrow with you, if that'll make you feel better?" He smiled.

"Someone get a shotgun and put me out of my misery." Sam moaned.

"Geeze Puckett, nice to see the appreciation..." Freddie smirked. Sam just looked back up at him with a small smile. They both knew she wasn't being serious.

"So...is that alright?" Carly started to ask. "I'll go to school tomorrow while Freddie stays here?"

Sam let out a long sigh. "If he must."

"I must." Freddie answered as everyone let off a chuckle, including Sam. Although after the small laughter, she couldn't help but notice how tired she felt. Her body still felt funky, and she really wanted to go to sleep now. The blond girl let out a big yawn as Carly looked over at her.

"Tired?"

"Yeah.." Sam replied quietly. "I haven't slept in hours.."

"Huh? But you've been asleep on the couch for.." Freddie was cut off as the girl shook her head.

"No. Just chillaxing. Not sleeping."

"You weren't sleeping?" Carly cocked an eyebrow.

"Nope." Sam replied casually.

"Wait, so does that mean you were..."

"Yes Fredward." Sam sighed. "I was listening to your technical garbage." She gave a small smile as Freddie and Carly's eyes widened.

"Just how much did you hear then..?" He asked cautiously.

"Um.." Sam looked up to the ceiling and thought for a moment. "I think it started off with my not being an insomniac or something. It went along the lines of _'She could drink a bazillion tons of coffee and still fall asleep'_." The girl repeated in Freddie's tone of voice.

"Oh crap..." The boy murmured, having realized that was hours ago. Of course, the two kids knew that they wouldn't talk bad about their friend, but just the fact that they _did _talk about her a few times made the whole idea of her hearing them a bit...awkward.

"And where the heck did you guys get the idea that I snored?" Sam cut in, trying to keep her eyes open.

"You really _did _hear everything, didn't you?" Carly chuckled nervously.

"Yes." Sam replied with a soft smile. "But I'm not mad or anything. You guys were funny. Anyways, I'm just tired. Really really tired." She yawned once more. Just then Spencer came back into the room.

"Hey guys.." He greeted them kindly. Sam noticed that the man had changed into a pair of pajama pants while his hair was a tousled mess. "What time is it?" She asked weakly, having noticed the fact that Spencer was dressed for bed.

"Around eight at night." Freddie answered.

"Really?" Sam asked lazily as her two friends nodded. "That went fast." She sighed, having noticed that the hours seemed to fly by.

"Maybe for you." Freddie chuckled.

"Um Sam?" Spencer called out hesitantly from near the counter. The blond girl looked over at him.

"Yeah?"

"You have to take another pill now." He gave a small sympathetic smile as he walked over to the couch, holding out the next dose of Vicodin for her to take along with a bottle of water.

"Fine.." She sighed. Although she was ready to go to sleep, she still hated the fact that she had to take another pill. She was finally starting to feel like herself again and loathed the idea of repeating the entire cycle of horrible side effects once more. With another exasperated sigh, she made a movement to sit up. "Oh....ow.." She moaned, placing her hand against her incision.

"Easy.." Carly replied gently, helping Sam sit up.

"Thanks.." She spoke softly, realizing that the pills were still necessary as the pain was starting to come back a little harsher as the medication wore off.

"Here you go." Spencer gently plopped the single pill into his patient's hand before picking up the bottle of water and twisting the cap off. After Sam placed the pill into her mouth, she took the bottle from Spencer and started to chug it down. Once she finished it, she handed it back to him. "Alrighty." He smiled. "Now what would you like to snack on?"

"Uh.." Sam thought for a moment, specifically about her BRAT diet. "Banana I guess?"

"Ok, coming right up!" He smiled, pausing for a moment. "I've got a bunch!" And with that the man busted out in laughter, over dramatizing the fact that he told a joke. The kids just stared at him awkwardly for a moment as he took a few deep breaths to recollect himself and wipe the tears out of his eyes. "A bunch...that's a good one.." He chuckled as he glanced over at them. Once Spencer realized they weren't laughing, his face fell. "A bunch....bananas...get it?" He looked over at them once more, only to be met with a dead silence. Even the crickets didn't feel the need to make a sound at this. "Don't judge me!" He yelped out, darting away from them and into the kitchen. The kids couldn't help but chuckle at this. Spencer was a lot funnier when he actually _didn't_ try to be humorous.

"So.." Freddie turned his attention back towards Sam. "Are you actually going to sleep after eating this time?"

"Yes." Sam confirmed with a nod of her head. "One can only take so much computer talk."

"I agree." Carly added with a chuckle, having been the one to suffer the brunt of the boy's stories throughout the day.

"Pft, what do you guys know.." Freddie crossed his arms and looked away in fake insult.

"Gotcha a banana.." Spencer stated with a smile as he walked back over to the couch. "And I even peeled it for you too."

"Fancy." Sam smiled as he handed the fruit to her. Spencer smiled back, glad to see that Sam was starting to act a bit more normal. Of course, he also knew the medication was going to put her back into a funky state again, so he hoped to get her to fade out before it happened.

"Ok, Sam.." The man started to say as he walked over in the direction of his bedroom and stopped before the hallway. "I want you to get some rest so when you're done eating that we'll all head in for the night..."

"Mmmkay.." Sam replied, her voice muffled as she chewed on her fruit.

"Sounds good." Freddie agreed. "My mom will be relieved to have me back too." He added as everyone chuckled. They knew that Mrs. Benson was most likely lost without her little Fredward.

"So Carly, when Sam finishes her banana, you take her up to your room alright? I'll be up soon to check in on everything."

"Sure." Carly replied.

"Bye Spence!" Freddie called out, realizing that this was probably the last time he was going to see the man for the night as everyone was getting ready to head for bed.

"Bye Freddo." Spencer smiled once more before leaving the living room.

"Alright.." Carly stated softly as she looked back at her best friend. "Once you finish that up we'll go upstairs and,.." The brunette girl's voice trailed off as she realized her best friend was staring into space, looking a bit pale as the banana hung from her hand lifelessly.

_'I....I can't sleep in Carly's room..' _Sam thought worriedly, having forgotten the decision she made herself hours ago until now.

* * *

**Sam still seems a bit skeptical to go back to Carly's room after what happened last time. Will the kids be able to get her into bed next chapter? Dunno. Need to write it... xP  
**

**(Also, just a small note: I skipped my homework _again_ to write this chapter, so I've gotta rush! I'll proofread again when I get home later!)**


	64. Go To Bed!

**Well, I don't have any homework today, so no rushing! =D Although I do want to make a note that even though I skip my homework for this story, I still manage to get it done. I'm not _that_ lazy haha! I'm just a HUGE procrastinator. xD**

**Also, I wanted to make a quick note here: Thanks iCarlyFanFreek825 for your reviews! Your most recent review was one of the nicest ones I've ever received! With people like you reading my story, it's really easy to care about the strangers on the internet enjoying my work haha! You guys really make it worthwhile. =) Thanks again for the kind words! I truly appreciate it! ^_^**

**Now onto the story!  
**

**

* * *

**"Alright.." Carly stated softly as she looked back at her best friend. "Once you finish that up we'll go upstairs and..." The brunette girl's voice trailed off as she realized her best friend was staring into space, looking a bit pale as the banana hung from her hand lifelessly.

_'I....I can't sleep in Carly's room..'_ Sam thought worriedly, having forgotten the decision she made herself hours ago until now.

"Sam, are you alright?" Carly asked gently, reaching over and lightly placing the back of her hand against her friend's cheek to check if her temperature spiked or something because the girl looked increasingly ill.

"Wha?" Sam looked over at her, having been snapped out of her thoughts. "Um yeah, I'm alright.." She gently pushed off her best friend's hand.

"You sure?" Freddie cut in. "Because you look like you're going to be sick." He then paused for a moment. "...are you?"

"No." Sam sighed. "I'm fine....for now, really." She tried to confirm, realizing that her reaction to sleeping in Carly's room apparently made her look even more ill.

"Ok then.." Carly replied quietly, still unsure. The two friends watched as Sam took another bite of her banana, finishing it off. They quickly deduced that she wasn't going to puke after all.

_'Man, what do I say..?'_ Sam thought quickly, chewing on her last bite of banana. She knew it wouldn't last forever and that she would have to swallow and confront her friends. "Carly?" The blond girl's muffled voice asked out.

"Yeah?"

Sam took a big gulp and sighed. "Um, I just want to stay on the couch and sleep."

"Huh? Stay here?"

"Yeah."

"C'mon Sam." Carly let off a small laugh. "You've been sleeping here all day. You need to get some rest in a bed."

Sam paused for a moment, trying to think. She decided to take the lazy route, hoping her friends wouldn't move a sick person. "Uh, I don't feel like moving."

"Moving?" Freddie asked curiously as she nodded. "Well, we can help you up." He offered.

"No." Sam replied, a bit irked at this. Her friends were being extremely kind...and ruining her plan.

"Well, do you want Spencer to carry y.." Carly's words were cut off as Sam moaned.

"Let me sleep here, please!" Sam yelped out a little too quickly. Both Carly and Freddie were taken back by the tone of desperation in her voice. It was obvious that something else was bothering her.

"Why, what's wrong?" Carly asked cautiously, realizing her best friend was hesitating a little more than usual for some reason. At first the brunette girl hadn't really put too much thought to it, but when she went over day's events in her head, she realized that Sam had pushed away the idea of going to sleep in her bed every time she was confronted with it.

"I'll just sleep down here on the couch." The blond girl paused for a moment, coming up with a quick excuse. "Plus you have that big math test tomorrow so you really should be able to sleep in your bed for the night. It's okay..." Sam started to say before Carly cut her off.

"No it's not. You need to sleep in the bed more than I do. What's wrong?" The brunette girl asked firmly once more, not accepting an excuse this time. There was a moment of silence as the two stared at each other. Sam paused for a moment as she looked down to the floor, realizing that Carly deserved the truth.

"I don't want to go to your room.."

"Well I can see that.." Carly replied softly. "...why?"

"I'll mess up..." Sam sighed, reluctant to talk about her feelings, even with the knowledge that her friends wouldn't judge her.

"Mess up?" Freddie asked curiously, not understanding what Sam meant.

Carly thought about her friend's words for a moment until her eyes widened in realization. "Oh, are you afraid of getting sick in there again?" She asked as the blond girl looked up at her, hesitantly giving a small nod. "Sam..." Carly gave her a small chuckle. "It'll be alright. Plus, we're going to place the garbage can in a better position for you. No problem."

"I know but.." Sam paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "That might not help. I just get so confused when I wake up." She sighed exasperatedly, feeling more and more tired. Carly could see this and knew that no matter what she said, Sam would still feel awkward about going to sleep in her room. Plus she also noticed that even if she and Freddie somehow managed to get Sam into bed, her best friend would most likely worry to the point of not being able to fall asleep and get the proper rest she needed.

"Um, Carly..?" Freddie finally cut in.

"Yeah?" She asked, looking over at him.

"Could I speak with you over in the kitchen for a moment?" He asked as she looked back over at Sam. The blond girl sighed, not making an attempt to ask why the two wanted to discuss something alone. Carly figured Sam's silence was her best friend's way of giving her the ok to leave.

"Alright." Carly replied as she and Freddie stood up from their seats. Frothy, having been curled up in a small fat ball, looked up from his position at the left corner of the couch when he felt some movement. He glanced over and realized that his temporary couch partner was leaving, but felt too lazy to do anything about it. With a small yawn, the cat gently rested his head back down and closed his eyes. As the two kids walked out of the living room and into the kitchen, Sam sat into the back of the cushions and copied her cat by closing her eyes as well. It was a bit weird knowing that her friends were going to discuss something about her secretly, but she didn't really care at this point.

"So.." Carly stated softly as she and Freddie made their way across the kitchen and over towards the sink. "What did you want to tell me?"

"I think I have a solution for Sam's problem."

"Yeah?" Carly asked, curious about what he had to say. She was currently drawing a blank on how to make Sam feel better and was desperate for any suggestions.

"I think we can get her to relax if she doesn't go to bed alone."

"Huh?"

"You told me Sam got sick in your room earlier this morning, right?" Freddie asked as Carly nodded.

"Yeah."

"Well, I think she still feels guilty about it."

"But I told her it was alri..." Carly was cut off as Freddie shook his head.

"She's still going to feel guilty, no matter what you say."

"You're right.." Carly replied. _'Dangit Sam! Why do you have to be so stubborn? I told you it was alright and I meant it..'' _She thought, letting out an exasperated sigh. "So what do we do to get her into bed?"

"Well.." Freddie paused for a moment to think. "She said she gets really confused when she wakes up. I think that's why she's afraid she'll get sick in your room again."

"Makes sense." Carly nodded as she let him continue.

"So I think that if she has someone with her, she'll feel much better. I mean, remember when we were at the hospital? She was going through the same problems...waking up sick and all that, but she didn't have to worry about making a mess because.."

"...we were there to help her out when she woke up." Carly added, starting to understand what Freddie was talking about.

"Exactly." He smiled. "And see how we managed to stop her from puking the last time she woke up?" He paused as Carly nodded. "I really just think she needs someone around when she comes out of a deep sleep. It's obvious that she's afraid that if she's left alone, she'll accidentally make a mess by herself."

"You're right." Carly replied as she thought for a moment. "She _was_ alone when she got sick in my room because I was sleeping on the couch. Afterward she told me that she accidentally got sick on my floor because she panicked."

"Yeah, it seems that whatever the drugs are doing to her, they're hitting her the hardest when she wakes up." Freddie nodded.

"Ok then...so I'll just stay with Sam and make sure she's alright when she wakes up. No problem." Carly finally concluded with a smile.

"Yup." Freddie replied. "I think that will really make her feel better...although she won't admit it."

"Of course." Carly chuckled. "I mean, Sam _has_ made a lot of progress over the past few days, but I still doubt she'll tell us she's afraid to go to sleep by herself."

"Definitely." Freddie laughed.

"So...how should I go about asking her if she wants me to stay with her?" Carly asked curiously, realizing her friend would most likely turn down that offer.

"Don't ask her." Freddie shook his head. "_Tell_ her."

"Tell her?"

"Yup. Make it sound like you're forcing it upon her and that she has no choice. She may fight back a bit, but eventually she'll back down since it's what she really wants."

"I get it. We trick her into thinking that she wasn't the one who made the choice for me to stay...although she did. How sneaky of you Fredward." Carly laughed.

"Heh, I try." Freddie shrugged with a smile. The two kids chuckled as Carly glanced back into the living room to see that both Sam and Frothy hadn't moved from their spots. The brunette girl then turned her attention back to Freddie.

"What should I say exactly though..?"

"Use the excuse Sam gave you!"

"Huh..?"

"Tell Sam you'd like to sleep in your bed tonight in order to relax for the big test tomorrow."

"But then she'll offer to.."

"..sleep on the couch?" Freddie cut her off. "You tell her that she needs a proper bed to rest and that you two can share since it's big enough. Sam won't mind sharing a bed right?"

"Nah. We always do whenever Spencer has to pull an all nighter on the couch while working on a sculpture...or when we have to go to a hotel." Carly answered before taking a deep breath. "Alright, that sounds like a good plan." She confirmed. "But how'd you get so good at thinking up ways to trick Sam?"

"By hanging out with her I guess." Freddie chuckled. "Now let's head back." He added as Carly nodded in agreement. The two walked out of the kitchen and back into the living room. As they made their way over to the couch, they sat back down in their respective positions next to Sam's left and right side. Carly gave Frothy a small pet on the head as he looked up at her, glad to see she was back.

"Hey, Sam?" The brunette girl asked softly as her best friend opened her eyes and looked over at her tiredly. "I was thinking that tonight I would.."

"Yeah." Sam cut her off. "I'd like it if you stayed with me." She confirmed quietly.

"Um..what?" Carly was caught off guard by this. She looked over at Freddie who just shrugged in response. It was obvious he was confused as well. Sam let off a small sigh and closed her eyes.

"You guys were right. I need someone with me when I wake up or else I freak out and end up yacking my guts all over the place. I'd like it if you stayed with me upstairs.." She stated once more.

"Huh? But I...you..we.." Carly started to stammer, knowing things shouldn't have been this easy. Her best friend couldn't help but let off a small chuckle.

"Heard you guys talking in the kitchen. You suck at being secretive."

"But we were whispering!" Freddie exclaimed in disbelief.

"I could hear you." Sam replied nonchalantly, keeping her eyes closed.

"I swear Sam, you have the ears of a bat!" Carly replied incredulously, also amazed at the fact that her friend heard them from across the room.

"Oh man...all that planning, for nothing.." Freddie moaned as he slumped down in his seat on the couch, having realized that Sam listened to their whole conversation about tricking her.

"I appreciate you trying to make me feel better though..." The blond girl replied quietly, completely ignoring her personal beliefs to stay strong and tough despite any situation. Right now, she was just too weak and tired to fight back and decided to let her emotions run freely, which was a pretty easy thing to do since the drugs still had her mind in it's grasp. Plus she decided she could give the poor boy a compliment while she was out of her robot stage, figuring he deserved at least _one_ by now.

"Huh?" Freddie asked as he sat back up, surprised that Sam would thank him for trying to be sneaky. "Oh uh, you're welcome?" He offered bashfully.

"Don't get the wrong idea though.." Sam replied quickly, looking up at him with glazed eyes. He watched as she squinted them, showing a bit of irritation on her face. "I'm still a bit peeved you guys would try to trick me.." She stated, giving a small glance back over to Carly, showing her that she didn't forget that her best friend was also part of the plan. The two friends gave off nervous chuckles as Sam continued. "..but you guys are right, and I'm too tired to really be embarrassed about how I feel. I just want to go to sleep." She finally finished.

"Ok, we can respect that." Freddie smiled, showing the girl that it was alright for her to feel that way and that he wasn't going to hold it against her.

"Thank you.." She replied quietly, closing her eyes once more. Just as she had found out earlier, her friends weren't going to judge her for her fears while she recovered, and for once in her life, it simply felt good to be able to talk this freely.

"Alright.." Carly smiled as she noticed Sam was starting to drift out of it more. "Why don't we get you to bed before the next dose fully kicks in and Freddie and I have to drag you up there ourselves."

"Not that weak yet Carls...not that weak.." Sam opened her eyes up halfway and offered a small laugh.

"Good." Carly replied jokingly, having noticed her friend's personality was easing it's way back, although the new dose of Vicodin would end up sucking it away once more. Carly wanted to get Sam to bed before she got all depressed again.

* * *

**Looks like the kids managed to solve Sam's little problem. =)**


	65. Getting Ready To Sleep

"Alright.." Carly smiled as she noticed Sam was starting to drift out of it more. "Why don't we get you to bed before the next dose fully kicks in and Freddie and I have to drag you up there ourselves."

"Not that weak yet Carls...not that weak.." Sam opened her eyes up halfway and offered a small laugh.

"Good." Carly replied jokingly, having noticed her friend's personality was easing it's way back, although the new dose of Vicodin would end up sucking it away once more. Carly wanted to get Sam to bed before she got all depressed again. She and Freddie stood up from the couch and bent back down to help Sam off. Carly held her right arm while Freddie held her left. With both of her friends strength helping her up, Sam barely had to use any of her own, although she still had to bend her stomach to stand so it hurt a bit.

"Urf..ow.." The blond girl let off a small moan.

"You ok?" Freddie asked cautiously, still grasping onto her arm as she stood up so she could use him for balance.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine. Just the usual pain. It's so annoying.." Sam muttered.

"That'll clear up eventually." He smiled as he felt the girl's weight shift off of him, signaling that she didn't need his help anymore so he gently let go of her arm.

"It better." Sam sighed, letting out a yawn as she brought up her hand to cover it.

"Alright, well I'm going to get out of your way guys." Freddie gave a small smile, seeing that things were winding down.

"Ok, we'll see you tomorrow then." Carly smiled, still holding onto Sam's arm so she could walk her friend upstairs.

"Mhm." Sam nodded. "Night Benson." She added.

"Night Puckett." Freddie laughed as he made his way over to the door. "Bye Carly."

"Bye." The brunette girl gave him a small smile which he returned. And with that the boy walked out of the apartment and quietly shut the door with a click. Carly then looked back over at her best friend.

"Ready for bed?"

"Yup." Sam smiled.

Carly couldn't help but chuckle. "It's about time."

"Yeah." Sam laughed, knowing she had been acting difficult about that subject throughout the entire day. As the two girls walked and limped over to the elevator slowly, Sam paused for a moment as Carly pressed the button. "Wait." She called out as her friend looked at her awkwardly.

"Huh?" The brunette girl watched as Sam glanced back towards the living room and put two of her fingers in her mouth. After taking a deep breath, the girl blew out a shrill whistle. "What are you..?" Carly asked curiously until she saw a small gray head poke up from behind the couch.

"Frothball. C'mere. Night time." Sam called out. The cat cocked his head once before jumping up and leaping over the back of the couch, landing on the floor in a thump. Carly watched as the cat hobbled over to them.

"Whoops, I forgot about him." Carly chuckled.

"Mrow.." Frothy huffed as he sat by their feet and waited for the elevator with them. Carly just looked down at the cat.

"Sorry!"

* * *

After having used the elevator, all three of them made their way back into Carly's room. Frothy had jumped up and settled himself at the foot of the bed while the girls were currently standing in the bathroom, facing the sink. Both were brushing their teeth and getting ready to go to bed.

"Soo...are oo reedy fur fa rest rummrow?" Sam muffled out, brushing her teeth with the spare green toothbrush her best friend kept around the apartment for her whenever she spent the night.

"Sam..." Carly paused for a moment to bend over the sink. She turned the faucet on and spit into it. "I have no clue what you just said." She added, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I said..." The blond girl stopped talking, noticing she needed to spit as well if she wanted to get her words out right. Carly watched as her best friend followed in suit, holding her hair back as she also spat out of mouthful of toothpaste into the sink. With a small sigh, the girl continued to speak. "I said.......ow." Sam moaned, holding her stomach as she stood back up, noticing she leaned a bit too far over the sink edge.

"You said ow?" Carly gave a gentle laugh.

"Sorry.." Sam replied, straightening herself up. "Man.....every little motion is starting to hurt."

"It's alright." Carly stated softly. "It's probably just because your previous dose of painkillers are wearing off. The new pill should kick in soon."

"Yeah.." Sam sighed, looking at herself tiredly in the mirror. She wasn't too pleased about that either.

"So...what did you say before?" Carly asked, looking at her best friend's reflection.

"Oh, I said are you ready for your test tomorrow." Sam replied as she turned around to face Carly.

"My test?" Carly asked as Sam nodded. "Not really sure. I kind of forgot about what's on it. Lot of stuff happened since Friday." She finished, suddenly realizing the mistake she made after saying that as she saw Sam's face fall.

"Because of me right?" The blond girl asked sadly.

"No! Well...maybe, but it doesn't matter. I care way more about you than some stupid test."

"Thanks." Sam gave her a small smile. "But it _is_ a pretty big one.."

"Yes....but math is during 6th period. I have study hall and lunch before that so I can brush up on a few things. Don't worry about it." She tried to reassure her friend.

"Alright." Sam replied reluctantly. Although she realized her surgery might end up being the cause of a bad grade for her best friend, she was just too tired to feel guilty about it right now. Plus, Sam decided that she'd wait until Carly got her grade back to see if she really needed to start kicking herself. The girl was a whiz at studying and if anyone could pull off a decent grade studying that close to test time, Sam knew it would be her best friend.

"So are you done with that?" Carly asked softly, pointing towards the green toothbrush Sam was currently holding.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." She replied as her best friend grabbed both their toothbrushes and rinsed them off in the sink. Afterward she shut the faucet off and placed them in a holder to the left side of the counter.

"Ready to go to bed?" Carly asked.

"Um sure, just one sec. I have to use the bathroom."

"No problem." Carly laughed. "I do too. I'll wait outside and go after you."

"Thanks." Sam smiled as her friend left the room and shut the door behind her. As Carly waited for Sam, she walked across her room and grabbed her remote off her nightstand. With a small sigh, she sat down on the foot of her bed next to Frothy and turned on the TV. The cat looked up for one moment, but when he realized who it was, he didn't mind and laid his head back down. As Carly began flipping through the channels to find some news to put on for her friend, Spencer walked in holding a large garbage can and bottle of water. He stopped at the doorway and gave a slight tap against the wall.

"Knock knock, can I come in?" He asked.

"Sure." Carly chuckled.

"Where's Sam?" Spencer asked as he walked across the room, noticing she was gone.

"In the bathroom." Carly pointed towards the closed door.

"Oh, she alright?" He asked.

"Yup, just getting ready for bed." Carly reassured him.

"That's good." He smiled as he walked over towards the edge of the bed and set the garbage can down. After placing the water bottle on one of his sister's nightstands he glanced back over towards her and noticed she was looking at him curiously. "It's for insurance." Spencer smiled, pointing to the garbage can. "I figured an extra one on the floor couldn't hurt."

"Good idea." Carly smiled. "Oh, and I just wanted to tell you that you don't have to bother setting up the couch for me anymore. I'll be sleeping here."

"Huh?" He asked curiously. "What about Sam?"

"She'll sleep here too. Freddie and I figured out some stuff and came to the conclusion this would be best for her. She doesn't mind."

"Oh, alrighty then." Spencer smiled, glad to hear that. He liked the idea of his sister staying with Sam just in case she needed help immediately. Spencer then walked over to the bathroom and gave a small knock on the door.

"Huh?" The sick girl's voice weakly called out.

"Hey Sam?"

"Spencer?" Sam asked upon hearing his voice instead of Carly's.

"Yup, it's me kiddo. Just wanted to remind you that you can come into my room at any time during the night and wake me up if you need something."

"Oh ok, thank you." She called out, appreciative of his selflessness.

"No problem. Good night." He smiled through the door.

"Night." Sam replied back.

"Alrighty.." Spencer replied quietly as he turned around to face his sister. "I'll let you girls get some sleep."

"Thanks Spence." Carly smiled.

"See ya in the morning!" Spencer smiled as he made his way over to the door.

"Bye." Carly laughed as they gave each other a small wave before he left the room. There was a moment of silence until Carly heard a flush, signaling Sam was done. After waiting a few moments as the girl washed her hands, Carly looked up as the door finally opened.

"All yours." Sam smiled, letting out a yawn as she held her hand over her stomach and limped slowly across the room over to the bed.

"Thanks." Carly smiled back as she stood up. "But first, let's get you settled in."

"Kay.." Sam replied, having no problems with that.

"Spencer brought up a bottle of water and extra garbage can for you." Carly explained, pointing to the nightstand.

"Good. If I drink the water now, maybe I can puke it out in a few hours." Sam joked.

"Let's try and keep it down." Carly laughed as she walked over to her desk and picked up her own small wastebasket.

"No promises." Sam replied with a chuckle as she watched her friend make her way back across the room and place the small garbage can on top of the nightstand.

"There we go." Carly smiled. "Hopefully we'll be ready this time."

"Yeah.." Sam replied with a sigh, as she stared at the various garbage cans. She still felt a bit guilty about what happened before. Carly walked over to her and gently put a hand on her shoulder.

"Which side of the bed would you like?" Carly asked with a smile, wanting her friend to cheer up. The blond girl gave a small shrug.

"Doesn't really matter. Left side I guess. I have a tendency to lean to my left when I puke so I think that would be better."

"Yeah, me too." Carly chuckled as she grabbed the top corner of her comforter and pulled it off the left side of the bed. She quickly figured out that if Sam slept on the right side, and puked to her left, the brunette girl's face would end up having the same fate as her floor. "Here's let's get you into bed.." Carly stated gently as she turned back towards Sam and slowly helped the girl sit onto her side of the mattress and shuffle her feet over on top of it. Once Sam was sitting upright, Carly decided to help her bend back.

"Urf..." Sam mumbled as her best friend held her hand out behind her back and gently lowered her towards the pillows. The pain hurt a bit but stopped throbbing once she laid down.

"That alright?" Carly asked as she removed her arm from underneath her friend's back.

"Yes.." Sam looked up at her and sighed dreamily before closing her eyes, resting her head against her Carly's pillow. After having slept on the couch all day, Sam had forgotten how comfy her friend's bed was. It literally felt like a cloud.

"Good." Carly smiled as she reached over and pulled the cover back over the sick girl. Sam opened her eyes up when she felt her friend drape the soft purple blanket across her. For some reason, that simple gesture felt heartwarming.

"Not used to being tucked in." Sam chuckled. "Thanks."

"No problem." Carly gave a small laugh. "I'm going to head to the bathroom now but I'll be back in a second."

"Kay.." Sam replied quietly as her friend left the room. With a small sigh, Sam glanced down at her feet and saw that Frothy was sleeping at the end of the bed. She couldn't help but let off a small chuckle. It was obvious that her cat was enjoying the comfort of the mattress as well. Both of them weren't used to such a luxury. With a tired sigh, Sam closed her eyes and relaxed her body, feeling very content at this point.

A short amount of time passed until Carly returned, having finished up in the bathroom. She glanced over at Sam and realized the girl had her eyes closed. She wasn't sure if her friend had already fallen asleep, but just in case, she stayed as quiet as a mouse when moving across the room. Carly made her way around the foot of the bed and over to her own side as she started to crawl on. Sam opened her eyes up when she felt the bed move a bit, seeing that her friend had slipped in alongside her and shuffled underneath the covers. Frothy sat quietly in between the two girl's feet, satisfied by their company.

"Oh, you're still awake?" Carly asked quietly as she laid down on her back and pulled the covers up to her chin. She tilted her head to the side on her pillow to look at Sam.

"Mhm." The blond girl replied. "I'm sort of tired to that point where your body wants to go to sleep but your mind is still alert."

"Well that's ok." Carly smiled as she pointed over towards the TV. "I put on the news for you. We can watch that for a while."

"Thanks." Sam replied, glad to have Carly with her. It was a lot more calming to be with someone when sick, especially since her painkillers were having such weird side effects.

"You're welcome." Carly smiled, glad to see Sam was settling down. "And remember, if you have any trouble during the night, _any_, you wake me up, alright? That's what I'm here for."

"Alright." Sam replied hesitantly, still not thrilled about the idea of having to wake her friend up if the situation came to that.

"Sam...I mean it." Carly pointed at her accusingly, hearing the reluctance in her friend's voice.

"Ok ok!" Sam laughed. "I'll wake you up...promise." The two girls smiled back at each other before they both glanced over at the TV. With a small sigh of comfort, Sam allowed herself to completely relax into the mattress. Just having her best friend by her side managed to make her feel a million times better. And with that last thought, the two friends continued to watch the news in a comfortable silence. Both of them were extremely tired from the day's events and were glad to finally be in bed.

* * *

**I figured I'd write out a few more Carly/Sam friendship moments before Carly left for school. Plus I knew CAM fans would like this scene. (You were right about it lita rocks LbC! ****xD). And I must say that CAM shippers will also like the next chapter as well. (As well as people who just like Drugged!Sam) It's funny. =D**


	66. Sleepover

**Ah! I can't believe I made it to over a thousand reviews!!!! I really had no idea that this story would come this far when I started it, or get this sort of response. (I was originally going to end it after Sam got out of the hospital, but writing out all the recovery scenes is just too much fun to stop, especially since you guys like them so much!) So I just wanted to say that I'm really appreciative of all my reviewers and that I wanted to thank you for all the awesome reviews!  
**

**Also I have a question to answer here which--ironically---was from my 1000th reviewer! Veeanna, you brought up an interesting point which I felt the need to go over and think about. Now, you pointed out that I might have made a mistake with the bed sides in chapter 65 (when I had Sam tell Carly which side she wanted) and for some reason, every time I went over it in my head, the situation seemed to play out right, but I FINALLY realized what I wrote wrong. So Veeanna, the way I wrote the situation is this:**

**  
Carly and Sam were _facing the foot _of the bed. So if you look at it from that direction, the right side becomes the left and vice versa (sort of like how a mirror works). And that, even though Sam chose the right side _from that perspective_, when you get on top of the bed and lie down on your back, it becomes the left side. I made the mistake of using that certain perspective instead of the normal way of actually sitting down on the bed, so I apologize for that! As the author, I see everything clearly in my head, but sometimes it's a bit difficult to describe things so my readers can see what I'm thinking! I plan to go back to that chapter and rewrite that part a bit better so it makes sense, but just in case anyone else is still confused on how the girls are sleeping, picture this:**

_**You're Sam and you're laying down on your back on a bed. You extend your left arm out to the side and it falls over the edge. You extend your right arm over and it hits Carly in the face. **_

**That's where the girls are positioned, alright? xD Now onto the story! (Sorry for any confusion! ^_^U)**

* * *

Ten minutes had passed as the girls continued to quietly watch TV together. Both were starting to fade out as they felt their eyelids grow heavier. Carly had finally given up the battle against her body as she felt her eyes shut completely. A few more minutes passed, allowing her to drift halfway into dreamland.

"Carly..?" Sam asked quietly, breaking the silence.

"Hm?" The brunette girl lazily turned her head over to the left, all the while keeping her eyes closed as she was still a bit out of it. Her friend's voice brought her out of her sleepy state. "Everything alright..?" She managed to mumble out. When she heard no answer, Carly squinted her eyes open. Her vision was foggy as her eyes had to adjust to the light coming off the TV screen. "Sam?" Her question was met with silence once more. "Sam?!" Carly asked worriedly, now fully awake as her eyes snapped open. When she looked over at her best friend, she noticed she was just staring at her with a dreamy smile on her face.

"I like sleepovers." The blond girl giggled.

"Oh.." Carly gave a small laugh, feeling her heartbeat start to calm down. It was obvious that her friend was becoming a bit loopy again. "Me too." She smiled. "But you really should try and get some sleep."

"You're not supposed to sleep at sleepover parties.." Sam giggled once more, reaching her right hand over and placing it over Carly's mouth.

"Mmph..." The brunette girl gently picked up Sam's hand off of her. "I know but...this isn't exactly a party."

"It's not..?" Sam asked quietly. Carly glanced over at her and realized that the girl looked at bit sad at hearing this.

"Oh uh, I didn't mean it that way exactly. It's um, a different _kind_ of party."

"Diffrennnt?" Sam asked, closing her eyes as she slurred her words.

"Yup." Carly replied, turning onto her left side so she could face Sam. She propped her elbow up against the mattress, and rested her head in her hand, giving her best friend a small smile as she looked down at her. "And there's even a game for this sort of party."

"Game..? I wannaa play.." Sam opened her eyes up halfway as she looked at her friend through the glaze. Her head bobbed back and forth slightly on her pillow as she tried to focus her eyesight.

"Alright." Carly smiled, glad to see she piqued her friend's interest. "The object of the game is to fall asleep."

"Whuh?" Sam asked curiously. "Fall sleeep?"

"Mhm." Carly nodded her head. "First one to fall asleep wins."

"Really?" Sam asked. Although she was drugged out of her mind, the game still sounded a bit awkward to her. "Thass odd." She added. "People that fall asleep first....at sleepovers usually uh...loose...they um.." Sam shut her eyes for a moment, trying to think. "They get shaving cream put on their facess....I don't want you to shave...my face.." She finished, making Carly chuckle.

"Oh, that won't happen. Promise." Carly quickly reassured her friend.

"Okayy.." Sam smiled up at her. "I'll play then."

"Good." Carly gave a small laugh as her friend closed her eyes. Five silent minutes passed when the brunette girl finally decided that her best friend drifted out. Carly laid her head back down on her pillow and looked up at the ceiling. With a small sigh, her eyelids started to close until Sam's voice broke the silence once more.

"Did I win?" The blond girl asked weakly.

"Saaaamm.." Carly moaned, opening her eyes back up and glancing over at her friend. "You can't win if you're awake."

"Oh.." Sam replied, looking at her with an odd stare before letting off a giggle. "Ok." She smiled, closing her eyes back up. Carly just shook her head as she let out a small laugh. Her best friend was so out of it.

* * *

Three more minutes managed to pass as Carly stayed quiet with her eyes closed. She decided to stay awake until she was positive her friend was asleep, just to make sure she was alright. With a small sigh, the brunette girl turned her head lazily to the side and opened her eyes to find Sam just....staring at her.

"Pleeeeeease, go to sleep." Carly pleaded with her gently. She was extremely tired and knew how much a good night's sleep meant to the both of them. Of course, if Sam didn't need any rest at this point, Carly wouldn't have minded giving up her own sleep to stay awake and talk with her. But unfortunately she knew Sam desperately needed it, even more so than her. And as ironic as this thought was, Carly realized that now was not the time to be playing games...despite the fact that she had been trying to get Sam to play one...as that didn't really count.

"But I can't go to sleeep.." Sam slurred quietly.

"Why?" Carly asked, curiously looking over at her, hoping nothing was wrong.

"If I fall asleep then you can't win the game.." Sam explained, lazily letting out a yawn.

"Is that what you're concerned about?" Carly asked as Sam closed her eyes and slowly nodded on her pillow. "Geeze, that's not how you play." Carly laughed, realizing that her best friend was trying to be kind and let her win the make believe game. Although Carly knew she wasn't going to fall asleep first because she made a promise to stay awake until Sam fell asleep. She saw that her friend was having a bit of trouble drifting off, so she wanted to stay up and make sure Sam was alright during the time she was awake. Unfortunately the sick girl was making this a bit difficult.

"Huh?" Sam asked, getting even foggier.

"You have to try and fall asleep. You can't just let _me_ win or else it's not a game."

"So....you don't want me to let you win?"

"No." Carly smiled. "And why would you even try to let me?" She asked, knowing that Sam was a pretty competitive person. She figured that even though her friend was hopped up on drugs, she would still try to win a game. Unfortunately it was obvious that this wasn't the case.

"You want to know why I'd let you wiiiin?" Sam cracked her eyes open halfway, staring at her friend in a drugged up state.

"Yeah.." Carly asked softly.

"It's because.." Sam paused for a moment as she reached over and grabbed the sheets in between them, pulling herself over onto her right side. Carly was taken back as Sam lazily raised her arms up and wrapped them around her friend in a bear hug. "...you're my bestest friend." The blond girl giggled, wedging her face in between Carly's shoulder and neck as she continued to lay next to her in a hug.

"Oh uh thank you.." Carly replied with a small smile as she gently returned the hug, patting her friend's back appreciatively. "You're my bestest friend too." She chuckled, knowing the drugs were messing with Sam's mind. Still, she couldn't help but be in awe at how it affected the blond girl. Carly always figured that Sam would be, as nice as she could put it, an angry drunk. It was interesting to see that under the influence of painkillers, her friend basically became the sweetest person in the world, even when talking to Freddie. Still, Carly knew she had to break off the hug as she felt the soft scrape of her friend's bandage rub through her shirt. She realized that as the girl clung to her, she was also laying dangerously on her wound. "Sam.." Carly spoke softly, trying to pull her friend's arms off her slowly.

"Mmm?" Sam asked lazily.

"You can't stay like this.." Carly started to say. At first Sam didn't make any indication that she heard, and the brunette girl was worried that her friend was falling asleep in this position. Of course, she didn't mind the fact that Sam basically just latched onto her, but Carly knew that her best friend couldn't go to sleep on her side as it put way too much pressure on her abdomen. And almost as if to confirm her thoughts, Sam inhaled a deep breath.

"Owwwwww..." She moaned pitifully into her friend's shoulder, feeling a dull ache of pain in her stomach.

"Ok, you've really got to lay on your back now.." Carly managed to squirm through her friend's grasp and sit up against her headboard. Sam's arms were still lazily connected as they slid down and hung around Carly's waist as she continued to hug her. "I'm sorry.." Carly replied softly, feeling a bit guilty as she took Sam by her wrists and gently maneuvered the girl's arms off of her. She then leaned over to her left and carefully rolled Sam back onto her back, alleviating the pressure from the incision. During this time, Sam made no attempt to fight back, as she was pretty much in a rag doll like state, letting Carly do whatever she wanted. Although the blond girl couldn't help but wonder if she did something wrong because from her point of view, it looked as though Carly didn't like the gesture of the hug, causing her to break it off. This made Sam feel a bit depressed as she was completely unaware that her friend only did it for her health, not because the brunette girl disliked it.

"Carlss..." Sam slurred as her best friend finished laying her down properly.

"Yeah?" Carly asked softly as she fixed up the covers over the sick girl, noticing that she barely had her eyes open. She could see that Sam was fading fast...both mentally and physically.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked quietly. Even though Sam was pretty much dazed out of her head, she could still tell that after she hugged her friend out of appreciation, Carly ended up pulling her off of her. While it was true that the blond girl's hug was mostly fueled by the drugs, Sam still had her basic emotions, and right now she was feeling guilty and a bit sad if her best friend had been uncomfortable about it.

"Huh? No.." Carly cocked an eyebrow as she looked down at her. "Why would you think that?"

"So you're not mad at me..?" Sam struggled to ask. The medication was affecting her mind in so many odd ways, that she had to try hard to focus her attention on what was going on. "You....juss don't like hugss then..?" Sam's eyelids started to go down. Carly couldn't help but notice that the sick girl was aware of the fact that she had just been pulled out of a hug. She also realized that even though the situation wasn't like that at all, Sam looked a bit sad to see her affectionate act brushed off in such a way.

"No, I'm not mad! At all!" Carly quickly replied. "You were just laying on your stomach, which you can't do right now! I didn't mind about the hug." She gave a soft smile as Sam struggled to open her eyes up.

"You diidnn't?" She slurred once more.

"Of course not." Carly smiled softly at her.

"Why you pull away...then?" Sam squinted her eyes, noticing that Carly's face was getting blurry.

"Sam.." The brunette girl sighed, realizing her friend's short term memory was going batty. "Like I said, you were putting too much pressure on your stomach. Look." Carly reached over and gently pointed towards the area where Sam's surgery wound was. The blond girl lazily looked down to where her friend was indicating.

"Huh?"

"It's going to hurt there if you lie down on it. So you have to sleep on your back." Carly added softly. She really didn't know how to be any more blunt about this, so she hoped that Sam would finally get the message.

"Oh...ok.." Sam replied quietly, tilting her head on the pillow and looking up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry for hugging you if you..didn't like..it.." She stated softly, closing her eyes.

"Sam c'mon.." Carly sighed, starting to feel guilty. Here she was, staying alongside her friend with the simple task of making sure she had an ok night, and instead ended up making the girl feel sad and rejected. "I'm not mad about that, I promise. Alright?" Carly explained gently. Sam tilted her head on her pillow and looked up at her.

"Kay.." The blond girl replied quietly. Carly glanced down at her and could tell her friend's eyes were even more glazed.... signaling one of two things. Either the drugs were making them glisten over more drastically...or Sam had tears forming in them. Carly quickly realized her friend's eyes were starting to water up as Sam let out a quiet sniffle.

"Awwwwww don't cry, please!" Carly pleaded, hating the way things were turning out. She watched as Sam looked up at her curiously.

"Who's crying..?" She asked lazily, sniffling a bit more dramatically this time. "I think I have to sneeze.." She explained as Carly just sat there, stunned.

"Um, oh." She replied awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed for misinterpreting the situation. And with that the blond girl turned her head over to the left, away from her friend, and let the sneeze out.

"Achhoo! OW!" Sam yelped out as her eyes snapped open, instantly bringing her hands over her stomach as a jolt of pain shot up her abdomen.

"You alright?!" Carly asked worriedly as Sam closed her eyes and grit her teeth, sucking a breath of air between them.

"Yeah.." She managed to growl out. There was a slight pause of silence in which Sam sat there with her eyes closed. The shock of pain started to dull down as the Vicodin worked it's way back in and fixed up her mistake of sneezing too harshly. Carly watched patiently as Sam finally opened up her clouded eyes. "Wow that was painful.." The blond girl paused for a moment and looked down at her stomach. "You were right Carls..it does hurt over there..." She sighed, finally understanding what Carly had been trying to tell her for the past five minutes.

"But you're alright now?" Carly asked, still unsure of the situation.

"Yeah.." Sam sighed tiredly, starting to feel her emotions slip out as the painkillers continued to dull the ache. It was obvious to her that she was going out of her loopy stage and into the zombie-like one.

"And you're ready to go to sleep?" Carly asked cautiously, noticing her friend was starting to fog out. Sam just nodded lazily, closing her eyes. "Good." The brunette girl replied with a soft chuckle as she slumped down into the bed and turned over onto her own back. With a small sigh, she looked up at the ceiling. _'I didn't know how much more of this I could take..'_ She laughed in her head, having realized that Sam went through a hurricane of emotions just now, ending it all with a simple sneeze.

"Still..I'm sorry.." Sam added quietly. She knew she had been talking to Carly for a while now, but it was getting hard to remember what the conversation was about.

"Huh? What for?" Carly asked as she turned her head back over towards her friend. She thought the situation about the hug had been resolved.

"I can tell I'm acting stupid, but I just...I....I..don't know.." Sam closed her eyes and sighed. "My head is so fuzzy..." The girl opened her eyes and looked over at her best friend. Carly watched as Sam's eyes wavered a bit, showing her that she still had trouble focusing her eyesight. "I just feel so weird." She moaned, holding up her right hand and looking at it. Everything was foggy and things seemed to move in slow motion. The blond girl continued to stare at her hand, hating the way the side effects felt until Carly gently reached over and grasped it lightly.

"That's alright.." She replied softly with a smile, bringing her friend's hand back down to the mattress. "Everything will be ok. Just try to relax." She stated softly, keeping their hands connected between them. Sam looked down at her hand before looking over at Carly. She could see that even through the foggy haze, her friend was giving her a gentle smile. Sam realized that whatever she said or did to her, Carly wasn't mad about it.

"Thanks...really.." Sam replied with a small sigh, closing her eyes as she gave her friend a gentle squeeze of the hand to show her appreciation of the girl's patience. She realized that Carly had managed to put her mind at ease and bring her back down to reality by holding her hand. For whatever reason, the act of holding her friend's hands, whether it be Carly or Freddie, did wonders for the medication's side effects. She really owed a lot to them.

"You're welcome." Carly smiled, glad to see Sam was calming down. "Now let's get some rest."

"Sounds good." The blond girl sighed contentedly, finally feeling relaxed enough to go to sleep.

* * *

**Poor Carly...having to deal with Sam while having that big math test tomorrow and all. xD Of course she doesn't mind taking care of her friend, but one can only take so much loopy before feeling drained themselves lol.  
**


	67. iCarly: Midnight Edition

"You're welcome." Carly smiled, glad to see Sam was calming down. "Now let's get some rest."

"Sounds good." The blond girl sighed contentedly, finally feeling relaxed enough to go to sleep.

With a small sigh, Carly rested her head back into her pillow and closed her eyes. Although she was barely hanging on to consciousness by a thread, the brunette girl still managed to stay awake and make sure Sam fell asleep this time. Grasping her friend's hand lightly, Carly kept her eyes closed as six minutes passed. All she could hear was the low hum of an anchorwoman's voice reporting the days events. Everything was calm and serene in the room until the girl felt a slight movement in her hand.

"Huh?" Carly let out a soft sigh as she felt Sam's hand twitch to life in her own. To her dismay she heard her friend let off a low mumble, as if she was trying to talk. _'Geeze Sam, are you still up?' _Carly thought exasperatedly as she lazily rolled her head to the left and cracked open one eye open to see what was up.

"Nrmm.." The blond girl let out a quiet sigh as she pulled her hand from Carly's and gently relaxed it over her stomach.

The one thing Carly noticed right away was that Sam had her eyes closed. Though she still wasn't quite sure if the girl was asleep or not. Upon closer inspection, Carly realized that her friend had a bit of drool slipping out of the corner of her mouth. Either Sam was asleep, or she was just being messy.

_'Tough call.'_ Carly laughed to herself. _'But I think she's finally asleep.' _Sam confirmed her friend's thought as she tilted her head on her pillow so she was facing the ceiling, beginning to snore softly. _'Alright..'_ Carly smiled to herself, glad to see that the sick girl had truly nodded off. _'I can finally go to sleep.' _She chuckled, closing her eyes. Within two minutes, she followed in suit of her best friend and was completely out.

* * *

Time had passed and it was now midnight, making it four hours since the girls went to sleep. Unfortunately this meant that Spencer had to give Sam another dose a Vicodin. He didn't really want to bother her at such a late hour, but after reading a few online stories from various people that had recovered from appendicitis, he realized this was best for her. The stories told him that allowing a person to sleep instead of giving them their painkillers this early in the recovery might end with the patient waking up in extreme pain. Sam had already gone through that, having skipped the dose herself, and Spencer didn't want to take anymore chances. The man walked down the hallway quietly, with a glass of water, the pill, and a piece of toast in hand.

Spencer rounded the corner and stopped in his little sister's doorway to inspect the room. It was dark save for the light of the TV which bounced off the various objects of the room, creating a vast array of shadows on the wall. As Spencer glanced over towards the bed, he noticed his little sister was laying down on her stomach with her head tilted towards the left. Her right arm was shoved underneath her pillow as the other one rested gently on top of it next to her face. Her back rose up and down softly, signaling that she was asleep. As his eyes scanned over to the Sam's side of the bed, he saw that she was also asleep. But unlike his sister, Sam had to sleep on her back, a requirement of the surgery. The blond girl had her right arm lazily draped over her stomach as the left one hung off the side of the bed and down to the floor. Every few breaths she took she would let out a soft snore but other than that, the room was mostly silent.

With a deep sigh of regret, Spencer quietly walked across the room and over to Carly's desk. He gently pulled out the chair and rolled it over to Sam's side of the bed. After sitting himself down on top of it, he reached over and placed the plate of bread along with the water bottle on the nightstand. "Alright.." Spencer stated softly as he glanced down at the small pill in his hand regrettably before looking over at Sam. He knew this had to be done, despite how much he didn't want to do it. The man reluctantly reached over and gently placed his hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Hey, Sam?" His voice whispered out, only to be met with silence. He gave her a very gentle shake. Still, the girl showed no signs of waking up. "Yoo hoo, Sam?" Spencer called out, giving her another soft shake. The girl tilted lifelessly with his motions. Once Spencer let go of her shoulder, she softly fell back into place as if nothing happened. "This is going to be hard.." He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. Spencer then glanced down and noticed Sam's arm was still hanging off the side of the bed. He gently bent down and picked it up and settled it back onto the mattress alongside her. As he looked down at her hand, Spencer thought of an idea. He cupped it in both of his and started to pat it.

"Wakey wakey.." He replied gently, giving her arm a small shake as well. Still no response. Spencer was starting to run out of ideas. He realized Sam was going to be a bit hard to wake up, but he couldn't do anything too harsh to her that would put a shock into her system. He knew that if these light touches weren't going to work, he might have to shake her a bit harder, but he wanted to avoid doing anything that might hurt the girl. With another long sigh, Spencer gently placed her hand back next to her on the mattress and let go. He then sat forward in his chair as he rested his elbows on his knees, propping his head up in his heads. The man sat for a moment, trying to think up a way to wake his patient up. As he was thinking, a small snore brought him out of his thoughts. He sat up and glanced over at Sam as she let out a soft mumble and lazily turned her head away from him. That was when an idea hit him.

"I got it.." He replied softly. His mind drifted back to some SplashFace videos he had watched last week where various college students pranked their roommates by waking them up in different ways. Spencer realized that all of those videos involved the same aspect.....the sleeping person's head. Of course, there was no way he was going to imitate those pranks by doing something like holding Sam's mouth and nose closed until she choked or blowing an air horn into her ear, but maybe there was a way he could just irritate her slightly to pull her out of the deep sleep. With a small sigh, Spencer looked around the room until his eyes landed back onto Carly's desk... specifically her pencil holder. In it lay a green pen with a fuzzy pom pom top, resembling the likes of Troll hair. "That'll work." Spencer smiled.

He got up and walked over to the desk and gently picked the pen up. After he made his way back over to the bed, he leaned over the sick girl gently. "Sorry Sam.." He stated apologetically before reaching over and slowly waving the top of the pen under her nose. At first it had no effect, so he waved it once more.

"Mmeh.." Sam gave a gentle sigh, turning her head away from the small annoyance.

"C'mon.." Spencer stated quietly, keeping the pen in place as he continued to irritate her nose. Just as was about to make some more progress, someone else's voice broke the silence.

"What the heck are you doing?!"

"HUH?!" Spencer yelped as he jumped back in surprise, not expecting anyone to talk. In his moment of shock, he fell onto the floor, landing on his bottom as the pen flew out of his hand and rolled a few feet away from him. "Who-?" He quickly got to his feet and looked over at the bed to see Carly sitting upright and awkwardly staring over at him as she grasped the covers over her legs. "Oh gosh, it's just you." He replied, holding a hand to his heart.

"Yeah..." Carly started to say, cocking an eyebrow as she rubbed the sleep out of one of her eyes with her fist. "What's going on?" She asked cautiously, wondering what the heck her brother was doing. From her point of view it looked like he was trying to tickle her friend with a pen.

"Huh?" Spencer asked curiously, having forgotten his earlier task as his heartbeat started to calm back down.

"The pen? Why you were trying to stick it up Sam's nose? Explanation please?" Carly continued to look at him oddly.

"Oh..." Spencer let out a small chuckle, realizing how awkward this must have looked to her. "That." He replied before bending back down and picking the pen up off the floor. "I was trying to wake her up."

"Why?" Carly asked.

"It's twelve o' clock." Spencer added. "She needs another dose of Vicodin."

"It's midnight?" Carly asked lazily as Spencer nodded in response. She glanced over at her clock to see if her brother was saying the truth and to her dismay, he was. The bright red digital numbers clicked over to 12:02. With a small sigh, Carly looked back over at him. "Couldn't we just let her sleep?" She asked.

"Well, that's what I thought about doing at first, but then I went onto Wahoo Answers to check.."

"The site where you can ask questions and have random strangers answer it for you?"

"Mhm." Spencer nodded. "And I asked what I should do in this case."

"What'd they tell you?" Carly spoke softly as she covered a yawn.

"Well, one message was spam from a dude trying to get me to buy squeeze cheese in bulk.." Spencer paused as his sister looked at him curiously.

"Did you click the link?" Carly asked accusingly as she squinted her eyes. Spencer just stared back at her.

"Huh?"

"Spammers always link to a website containing a virus or something. Tell me you didn't click the link!" She added once more.

"Of course I didn't..." Spencer huffed as he turned away from her and crossed his arms. "..I'm not that stupid." He added. There was a small moment of silence between the two siblings until he looked back over at his sister. "But on a completely unrelated note, we should have Freddie run a random virus scan on our computer to make sure everything's running smoothly." He added with a nervous chuckle

"Ugh.." Carly let out an irritated moan. "Did you get any _other_ answers from Wahoo?" She asked tiredly.

"Yeah..." Spencer replied bashfully. "Two people gave me links to a few rehab centers." As soon as he finished this statement Carly chuckled.

"Nice research job."

"BUT!" He smiled holding up his pointer. "I managed to get six other _helpful_ responses."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, and they all basically told me the same thing. They said that it's my choice if I want to let Sam sleep, but since it's this early in the recovery, there's a good possibility she could wake up in a lot of pain." He paused for a moment as Carly looked down in thought. They both realized this fact was true, considering what happened when Sam skipped her own pill. "So.." Spencer sighed. "They said that even though a sick person needs a lot of rest, I should still wake them up and keep them up on their painkillers if they're asleep at the time of the next dose."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense.." Carly replied softly as she looked over at her friend. "Although I still feel kinda bad about it."

"Me too." Spencer sighed as he looked down at Sam as well. "But I gotta wake her up."

"With my pen?" Carly asked curiously.

"Well I tried shaking her and talking to her, but she wouldn't respond to that. The pen thing was starting to work until you scared the living daylights out of me!"

"Sorry..." Carly smiled sheepishly.

"It's alright." Spencer chuckled as he bent over Sam once more. "Let's try this again.." He started to wave the pen under the girl's nose once more. Carly watched silently with a bit of guilt as she saw Sam start to mumble.

"Meh.." The blond girl rolled her head to the side, furrowing her eyebrows in annoyance. "Stop..." She moaned finally.

"Hey Sam?" Carly gently scooted over the bed so she was sitting right next to her friend.

"Wha-?" The blond girl cracked one eye open and looked up. Both Spencer and Carly could see that her eyes were glazed over, ever more drastically from the drugs. She was so unfocused that it was obvious the girl was still half asleep. With a soft moan, Sam closed her eye back up.

"Here, we need you to sit up.." Carly added softly, squirming her fingers underneath her friend's back.

"Nneh..." Sam gave a quiet moan at this but offered no other form of retaliation.

"Help me get her up." Carly whispered to her brother as he set the pen down on the nightstand and put his hand underneath the girl's back. As the two siblings moved together, they managed to pull the sick girl up into a sitting position. As soon as Spencer let go, Sam gently slid against Carly, laying her head on top of her friend's shoulder. Sam was still half asleep and it looked like she was in no mood to fully wake up.

"I'm going to get the pill and toast. Hold on a second." Spencer told his sister as he turned around to the nightstand once more and picked up the supplies. As he did this, Sam gently lifted her head off of Carly's shoulder.

"Carly?" Sam asked weakly, barely opening her eyes a crack.

"Mhm." The brunette girl smiled down at her.

"I'm Sam.." She replied lazily.

"Yes.." Carly chuckled. "You're Sam."

"And...this.." The blond girl paused for a second, obviously trying to think. "..is iCarly.." She finished her statement as her head tilted down on top of her best friend's shoulder once more.

"Um, I think she's still half asleep." Spencer whispered as turned back around. Carly looked over at him.

"Yeah, you're right.." She replied as Sam lifted her head up again and smiled, still keeping her eyes closed.

"What should we do next Carlsss....?"

"That's kind of funny." Spencer smiled as he looked over at the blond girl.

"Huh?" Carly asked.

"She's dreaming she's in the middle of doing the webshow right now."

"Yeah.." Carly laughed as she also looked down at her friend.

"For our next skit...we'll...um..." Sam paused for a moment. "Do something with a snake..." He head hung low once more. "Carly...get the snake...." She replied quietly. The brunette girl couldn't help but chuckle at this.

"Oh no, I told you, If we bring a snake onto the show, I'm not holding it." Carly laughed, humored by the fact that Sam still wanted her snake.

"Baby.." The blond girl sighed in response, still unaware of reality although she could hear her friend's voice in her dream. "Freddie..you go get it then...." Sam paused for a moment as she lifted her head up and moved towards the brunette girl's ear. "Carly..." She started to whisper, her eyes remaining closed the entire time. "I didn't....feed the snake......" And with that Sam started chuckling to herself as her head lazily rolled to the side once more as she rested back down on her best friend's shoulder. Spencer and Carly looked at each other before laughing quietly. Whatever the girl was dreaming, it was obvious it most likely involved Freddie getting injured or eaten by said snake.

"How are we going to get her to take the medicine though?" Carly asked curiously as her friend's head bobbed back and forth on her shoulder as the girl smiled dreamily. "I mean, if we try and wake her up completely, she'll probably end up getting sick. As long as she's like this.." Carly paused for a moment as Sam chuckled once more quietly. "...she seems to be happy. Do you think we can just give her the pill now?" Carly asked, remembering how out of it Sam was on Sunday when she had to spoon feed her friend the applesauce for the first time.

"Hm yeah...I think I've got an idea.." Spencer stated as he leaned forward in his seat and whispered into his sister's ear. She listened to his plan and liked it. With a nod of her head, Carly looked back down at her friend as Spencer backed out of the way.

"Sam?" Carly asked quietly.

"Wha..?"

"How about we do another skit before we bring out the snake?"

"If you want.." Sam sighed. "Baby..." She added again at the last moment. Carly looked up at her brother disbelievingly.

"Even in her dreams she manages to insult people." Carly shook her head as Spencer smiled and shrugged. "Anyways, give me the toast first." Carly held her hand out as her brother reached over and gave it to her. "Alright.." The brunette girl turned her attention back to her best friend. "Sam?"

"Huh..?" She asked lazily, lifting her head up to look Carly in the eyes...except for the fact she had her eyelids closed.

"We're gonna try a skit called...uh.... " Carly paused for a moment to think up a name. "What am I eating?" She finished as Spencer looked at her oddly. "It's all I could think of!" Carly whispered to him in defense as he chuckled.

"What am I eating..?" Sam asked tiredly.

"Mhm." Carly nodded. "I'm going to give you a few things you have to eat, and you have to guess what it is without looking, ok?"

"I like this skit.." Sam smiled as her eyes remained shut.

"Alright good." Carly chuckled, figuring her best friend would be a fan of the newly made up skit. "Now close your..." The brunette girl's voice trailed off as she realized it was sort of a moot statement to tell Sam to close her eyes. "Um...open your mouth.."

"Kay.." Sam replied sluggishly as she opened her mouth up.

"Ok...food item number one.." Carly stated softly as she decided to use the toast first, just to get Sam ready for the pill. She reached over and gently put the piece of toast into her friend's mouth. Sam bit into it and started to chew. "Can you guess what it is?" Carly asked gently as she pulled the toast away.

"Urm.." Sam continued to chew it a bit until she swallowed. "Hamburger....?" She asked lazily. Carly looked over at her brother as they shared an odd look.

"Uh yeah...you're right!" Carly smiled, deciding to let Sam win in her dream although her best friend obviously missed the mark.

"Cool." The blond girl smiled. "Although it needs some ketchup..." She added, making Carly and Spencer laugh.

"And lettuce, tomato, meat, a bun..." Spencer whispered as Carly shot him a look to shut up. "Sorry.." Spencer added quietly, hanging his head in shame.

"Wha..?" Sam asked lazily.

"Nothing!" Carly quickly replied. "Let's try the next food item." She stated, holding out the piece of bread to her brother, silently telling him to switch it with the pill. The man did as he was told and took the toast from his sister and plopped the small pill down in her hand.

"Kay.." Sam sighed, opening her mouth once more.

"Now this time, you aren't allowed to chew. You just have to swallow."

"Swallow? But then I can't taste.....it..." Sam stated quietly.

"That's because this is round two. It's more of a challenge this way." Carly paused as Spencer nodded, liking that explanation. After letting out a small sigh, Carly continued. "And this one is small ok? Stick out your tongue so I can put it on." The brunette girl instructed, making sure Sam didn't choke on the pill.

"Kay.." She repeated, listening to her friend.

"Alright.." Carly gently placed the pill on her friend's tongue. "Now swallow it slowly..." She added, as both her and Spencer made sure Sam didn't move too hastily. They watched as the blond girl gently closed her mouth and swallowed the small pill in one tiny gulp. Afterward she opened her mouth up and lazily cracked one of her eyes open a sliver.

"The heck was that?" Sam asked curiously as she looked up at Carly through a clouded eye, having been unable to guess.

"Um.." Carly looked over at her brother. He just shrugged in response, not being any help. "....uh that's for you to guess." Carly finally finished, figuring Sam could come up with something interesting. They watched as the blond girl closed her eyes for a moment and thought.

"M and M?" She asked.

"Yes!" Carly smiled. "Exactly. You win again."

"Aw man..." Sam sighed sadly.

"Huh?" Carly replied awkwardly, caught off guard by her friend's gloomy response. "Aren't you happy? You won.."

"You made me swallow an M and M. What a waste of chocolate.." Sam sighed, letting her head hang down in depression.

"Well hey.." Spencer spoke up, trying to contain a few chuckles. "Why don't you finish up your...uh burger." He added with a smile as he held up the piece of toast and handed it the half asleep girl.

"Ok.." Sam replied quietly, taking the piece of bread in her hand and starting to chew on it. The Shays waited patiently as the girl slowly ate the piece of toast. As she finished up the last bite, Spencer reached over towards the nightstand and picked up the glass of water he brought along with him.

"Here, wash it down with this.." He stated softly as he held the tip of the straw to Sam's mouth. The girl made no attempt to question this as she realized she was thirsty. Spencer patiently held the glass up as she continued to drink the water through the straw. After a minute or so, she managed to empty out the entire thing. When Sam was done, she spit out the straw and let off a small sigh as she relaxed her head back onto Carly's shoulder. "Alright.." Spencer stated quietly as he reached back over and settled the glass onto the nightstand. He then stood up from his seat and looked back over at the girls. "Let's lay her back down." He whispered to his sister as she nodded. Spencer bent down and helped Carly slide Sam gently off her shoulder and lie her down onto the mattress slowly. By now Sam had given up talking as her head was placed back onto her pillow. With something in her stomach and a soft bed, the girl had managed to slip back into her sleep right away.

"There we go." Carly smiled as she looked down at her friend. "I think that's good."

"Yeah.." Spencer chuckled as he stood back up and glanced down at his sleeping patient. "Sam _would_ be the only person who could host a web show, torture Freddie, participate in a new skit, eat a meal, and stay asleep at the same time."

"Busy night for her." Carly laughed. By now Sam had started to snore once more, almost as if she subconsciously agreed with her best friend's comment.


	68. Spencer's Struggle

**I just wanted to say that I _finally_ posted up the exclusive chapter and will be handing out the link to my faithful reviewers once I get home from college (Yes, that's right, no day off for me.. =/ ). Sorry for the delay, but I wanted to proofread it (despite it not being in the actual story) because even though it was a scrapped idea, I still want it to be presentable lol. **

**Anyways, here's a small Spencer chapter I whipped up this morning for you guys! Enjoy!  
**

* * *

"There we go." Carly smiled as she looked down at her friend. "I think that's good."

"Yeah.." Spencer chuckled as he stood back up and glanced down at his sleeping patient. "Sam _would_ be the only person who could host a web show, torture Freddie, participate in a new skit, eat a meal, and stay asleep at the same time."

"Busy night for her." Carly laughed. By now Sam had started to snore once more, almost as if she subconsciously agreed with her best friend's comment.

"Alrighty, well, I'm going to head out now." Spencer replied. "And I'm sorry for waking you up kiddo. Heard you guys talking about that test you have tomorrow."

"Oh yeah.." Carly moaned.

"But don't worry about it too much. I'm giving you a free pass on this one if you don't do so well."

"Thanks...although that doesn't matter since Mrs. Wilkins won't." Carly sighed.

"Mrs. Wilkins is your math teacher? That old bat who has the huge mole on her upper lip?"

"The very one." Carly replied bitterly.

"Yikes! I had her in 10th grade! She failed me and made me go to summer school. You better do well on that test or else!" Spencer exclaimed.

"Not helping!" Carly almost shouted before remembering to keep her voice down for Sam. "Now get out of here and let me sleep!" She whispered angrily.

"Alright alright, I'm sorry!" Spencer shrugged apologetically. "G'Night."

"Night." Carly laughed, rolling her eyes. As Spencer walked out of the room, the brunette girl turned around towards her nightstand and picked up the remote. After pointing it towards her TV she clicked the power button off, covering the room in a pitch black darkness. With a small sigh, she reached over towards her alarm clock and placed the remote back on the nightstand. After taking in a deep breath and letting it out, Carly laid back down on her mattress. With a small sigh she pulled her covers up to her chin and closed her eyes. With the sound of the TV gone, the only thing she could hear was the soft sounds of Sam snoring, although she didn't mind as it meant her friend was finally getting the rest she needed. With one last sigh, Carly turned over onto her left side and went back to sleep.

* * *

Another four hours had passed as Spencer gloomily dragged his feet across the floor, making his way back over to his sister's room. The man let out a heavy sigh as he carried an armful of supplies, specifically another water bottle, a cup of applesauce, and the pill. At this point Spencer was beat since it was four in the morning, but he had no trouble sacrificing his own night to make sure Sam got the proper care. Still, he couldn't help but let out a yawn as he shuffled his tired body back into Carly's room. As he stopped in the doorway, Spencer looked around the room, or at least tried to considering it was pitch black. The TV was off now so there was no source of light. At first he contemplated flicking on the light switch, but then he realized it would probably bother the girls too much. Spencer stood in the doorway for a moment trying to think. His eyes widened as he finally got an idea.

_'Carly has a desk lamp. I'll just flick it on.'_ He smiled, knowing that his sister's desk was closer to Sam's side of the bed and would offer enough illumination for him without disrupting the girls' night. _'Now I just have to make my way across the room..'_ He paused for a moment, wondering if he should attempt walking in the dark. _'Yeah..this'll be easy..no problem.'_ He concluded, taking a few steps forward. _'I know Carly's room like the back of my...'_ And with that last thought, Spencer's knee smacked into something hard, causing the man to loose his balance.

"WHOA!" He yelped out, tossing everything he had in his arms into the air as he fell to the ground with a large thump. Whatever he tripped on, it came crashing down with him, tangling up his legs. "Arg!" He grumbled out pitifully, trying to get his legs free from whatever had tripped him up. It was big, bulky, and very hard. As Spencer squirmed around on the ground in the darkness, he managed to pull away from the annoying object and crawl along the floor over to his sister's desk. Once he felt the smooth surface of the drawers, he reluctantly climbed to his knees,and patted it over until he felt the small switch of the lamp. After clicking it on, a corner of Carly's room was illuminated in a small yellow glow. Spencer hastily turned around wide eyed to see what the heck happened. To his depression he saw that all of the items he had brought up with him were haphazardly thrown around. The thing that stood out most though was the chair laying down in the middle of the room...specifically the one to Carly's desk he had used earlier.

_'Geeze...I forgot to put it back..'_ Spencer thought stupidly, figuring out that's what he tripped on. With a grumble, the man pulled himself up and glanced over at the bed, checking to make sure he didn't rouse the girls. He noticed that Carly was sleeping on her right side, facing away from him, while Sam continued to sleep on her back. Neither showed any signs of being woken up as they continued to breath softly. "Alright good I didn't wake anyon.."

"Mroow."

"Huh?" Spencer looked over at the foot of the bed to see a pair of green eyes staring over at him. He saw that Frothy was lazily stretched out over Carly and Sam's feet as he looked up at him. "Oh, I'm sorry." Spencer apologized to the cat as he noticed the animal seemed to be irritated to have been woken up. Frothy's tail twitched a bit as he continued to stare at the man with a look that could kill. "Um, we're friends, remember?" Spencer laughed nervously. The cat's eyes continued to burn a hole into him. "Sam said you have to be nice to me!" Spencer added quickly. Upon hearing this, the cat cocked his head.

"Mreeh.." Frothy huffed, laying his head back down by his owner's ankle. His tail twitched a few more times before it settled over Carly's leg.

"Phew.." Spencer let out a sigh of relief as he walked over to the middle of the room and started retrieving all the items he had tossed. He was really thankful that none of the objects hit the girls as that could have ended up badly. After gathering up everything, he walked over to the chair and pulled it back upright before rolling it over to Sam's side of the bed. He then leaned over and settled everything onto the nightstand once more before sitting down.

"Alrighty...I think I can do this without Carly's help." Spencer smiled as he plucked up the green pen once more. "Step one..." He reached over and gently started waving the pom pom underneath Sam's nose as he did before. Everything was going smoothly as she mumbled slightly. Sam cracked one eye open and looked up at him in a daze. "Hey there.." Spencer greeted her quietly. "Sorry to bug you but.." He was cut off as the girl moaned and shut her eye.

"Mmmm.." She mumbled out, turning her head away. "Go away.."

"Sorry Sam, I can't." Spencer stated apologetically. "C'mon now let's have you sit up." He added as he moved over towards the bed and gently helped the girl up into a sitting position. It was obvious Sam was still half asleep as she lazily rested her head onto his shoulder as she did with Carly before. "Ok, Sam?" Spencer asked quietly.

"Huh?" She mumbled out, keeping her eyes closed.

"We're going to play 'What am I eating?' again." He smiled, getting the pill ready in one hand as he kept the girl steady with his other.

"What?" Sam asked tiredly.

"That new skit for iCarly, remember?"

"iCarly...what?" Sam yawned lazily.

"Your web show.." He stated, pausing for a moment to see if she understood what he was talking about. It was obvious by the lack of response that she didn't. "Not in an iCarly mood huh?" Spencer looked down at her, noticing she was confused.

"Huh..?" She croaked out weakly once more, letting out a soft yawn. She wasn't in the middle of a dream right now and Spencer knew he was going to have to improvise this time....he just wasn't sure how.

"Uh Sam... I need you to eat something for me." Spencer stated awkwardly. He was too tired to come up with anything creative so he just decided to tell the girl bluntly.

"No.." Sam replied quietly, keeping her eyes closed as she rested against his shoulder.

"But you have to.."

"Noooo.." Sam moaned once more. While it was obvious that she was still half asleep by her childish responses, it was even more apparent that she wasn't going to comply this time. The girl was tired and wanted to be left alone and whoever kept talking to her was making her feel a bit disgruntled.

"I'm sorry about this, really!" Spencer paused for a moment as he noticed the blond girl furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. "But you have to take your medicine."

"Go away.." She mumbled in response, burying her face into his shoulder.

"I can't Sam. If I don't do this now you'll be in a lot of pain later. Please...try to understand." Spencer gave her a regretful look. The last thing he wanted to be doing at four in the morning was upsetting a sick girl.

"No!" Sam yelped out once more as she brought her hand up by instinct and slapped the man across his face.

"OW!" Spencer squeaked out as his head tilted to the side with the movement. He slowly looked back down at Sam and saw that her arm had lazily dropped down to her side. She was drifting out once more as she started to calm down and stop talking. After cracking his jawbone a bit, he took in a deep breath. "Well _that_ hurt."

"Mmrm.." Sam mumbled lazily, trying to go back to sleep, not even aware that she had just slapped her temporary guardian. Spencer just looked down at her and sighed.

_'What the heck am I going to do now..?' _He thought tiredly until his eyes widened as an idea hit him.

* * *

Around seven minutes had passed when the light clicked off in Carly's room. After a few moments, Spencer walked out into the hallway carrying an empty water bottle and cup of applesauce.

"Alright, at least that's done.." He sighed happily as he started to walk down the hall, having successfully managed to feed his patient another pill while keeping her half asleep. "Although.." Spencer scratched his head awkwardly. "..if Sam wakes up remembering what just happened, I owe her twenty bucks." He laughed, having to bribe the girl to eat her pill. At first the bribe only started at a dollar, but the sick girl managed to bump it all the way up to twenty by refusing to do anything he asked until he finally coughed up the bigger bills.

That was another thing Spencer had to chalk up to her for being able to do while barely conscious. Someway, Sam managed to flip the whole situation around and wriggle away as much money as she could from him before giving in. Spencer realized that despite the fact the girl was drugged out of her mind and asleep, she was still a pretty shrewd deal maker. He was just glad he got out of there only loosing a twenty.

With a small chuckle, Spencer continued down the hall and over to the staircase. He knew that the next dose would be at eight in the morning, so he figured he could get a few more hours of sleep in until then...and try to find out where his wallet was.

* * *

**Poor Spencer! Sam is a costly patient! xD  
**


	69. Mysterious Money

Almost three hours had passed as it was now 6:43 am in the morning. The sun was starting to peak over the Seattle skyline as the sky was now a dark gray shade. It was quiet and peaceful in the Shay apartment as everyone was asleep...until now. Carly was laying on her right side and let out a soft sigh in her sleep as she flipped over to her left....accidentally hitting Sam in the face as she relaxed her arm back down.

"Mmrmm..." Sam mumbled lazily as something fell against her cheek. She was slowly dragged out of her deep sleep as she felt her body wake up. The soft mattress and blanket of her friend's bed felt amazing, and for once the sick girl couldn't help but sigh in comfort as she woke up in a dreamy state, wondering if she was laying on a marshmallow. Of course, the feeling was short lived as Sam realized something had slapped her awake. "H-huh?" She asked weakly, reaching up to pull off whatever was on top of her face. She picked up Carly's hand gently and put it to the side as she tried to figure out what was going on. With a soft moan, Sam opened her eyes and looked over to her right. At first she couldn't see much as everything was in a hazy fog. And, the fact that the room was still a bit dark didn't help either, but her eyesight eventually started to clear up, revealing the image of her best friend's shape sleeping alongside her. Sam's eyes trailed down to Carly's hand.

"Oh.." She let out a small laugh, having realized what happened. "Nice Carls.." She let out a soft sigh, turning her head back over on the pillow as she looked up at the ceiling. After taking a deep breath, Sam made a motion to sit up, but instantly regretted it.

"Whoa...." She murmured as she only made it to the halfway mark before she had to fall back down on the bed. Everything had started spinning like crazy when she tried to sit up, and her heart began to beat in panic because of this. "No.." Sam moaned quietly, shutting her eyes. The dizzy sensations wouldn't stop, and they never seemed to...unless....

"Carly..?" Sam asked quietly, looking over to her right. The image of her best friend was now tilting to the left and the right as the sick girl's vision split into two. "Crap.." Sam moaned, swallowing hard. The nausea was starting to build up in the pit of her stomach again, and she contemplated the idea of reaching over for the garbage can. Unfortunately as she tried to, she realized that her arms felt like jello and barely moved how she wanted them to. By now Sam had started to breath a bit heavily as the medication made the room feel like it was closing in. With a weak tilt of the head, she looked at her best friend. "Carly.." She let out another soft moan. The brunette girl was in too deep of sleep to hear her best friend's whimpers.

"Ulp.." With a shaky right hand, Sam reached over and grabbed Carly's and shook it lightly. "Carls.." She called out weakly once more. The girl still made no response. Sam gulped as she felt her stomach flip over. "CARLY!" She cried out as she found the strength to reach over and flick her friend roughly on the nose.

"WHA-?" Carly's eyes snapped open as she brought her hands to her face and sat up quickly. "Oh.." She moaned, holding her nose. "What happened...?" The brunette girl asked weakly to no one. As she rubbed her sore face, she was surprised to hear someone answer her question.

"Sorry... that was me..I woke you up." Sam replied quietly, closing her eyes and gulping.

"Huh?" Carly asked lazily as she cracked one eye open and looked down at her friend. "You flicked my nose?" She asked, trying to fully wake up.

"Yes...." Sam looked up at her with a sheepish smile, trying to focus her eyesight on her friend's spinning face. "..figured it'd be better than puking on it.." She added, closing her eyes once more as she gulped. That was when Carly realized how pale her friend looked.

"Oh are you alright?" She asked, scooting over closer to her on the bed.

"Oh yeah I'm fine.." Sam replied, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "Just feel like I'm in a centrifuge..." She moaned with her eyes shut.

"Centrifuge?" Carly asked curiously. "Didn't know you knew a big word like that." She watched as Sam looked up at her weakly with glazed eyes.

"What the heck's a centrifuge..?" The sick girl mumbled, shutting her eyes as the medication's side effects continued to work their way through her head.

"Um alright then.." Carly replied quietly as she noticed the meds were jumbling up her friend's thoughts. She then gently reached over Sam's head to grab the small wastebasket from the nightstand. Carly realized her best friend's nausea was increasing fast and she wanted to calm her down but knew she better grab the garbage can just in case...for insurance, as her brother put it. Sam laid quietly as Carly reached over her and sat back down, moving the bed slightly. Sam just moaned at the motion. "..are you dizzy?" Carly asked softly as Sam nodded.

"Very...and I'm not feeling so well." She added, looking up at her friend through tired eyes.

"It's ok if you have to puke, we're all set." Carly smiled as she patted the garbage can next to her. "..but, why don't we try what Freddie did before. Close your eyes for a second." Carly instructed her as Sam complied. With a small sigh, the blond girl closed her eyes. Now all she could see was utter blackness. This helped alleviate the dizziness of her eyesight, but her body still felt like it was going to fall off the bed. Sam's heart continued to pound in her chest from this until she felt her best friend grab her right hand and hold it steady, helping anchor the girl back into reality. "Now just take a few deep breaths.." Carly's voice stated softly as she wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder and stayed by her side. She repeated exactly what Freddie had told Sam to do yesterday.

"O-ok.." She replied quietly, grasping on to her friend's hand tightly for balance. The brunette girl stayed by her side as Sam took a few deep breaths. Carly frowned as she could actually feel the temperature change in Sam's hand, reflecting how sick the girl felt. Sam's skin went from clammy to ice cold in a matter of seconds. The two girls waited in silence for a moment until Sam's stomach started to calm back down. The room had stopped moving as her heart beat began to return to a slower rhythm. Carly looked over curiously as she felt the temperature in friend's hand start to warm up and go back to normal. The blond girl relaxed her nauseated expression and looked up at Carly.

"You alright?"

"Mhm.." Sam sighed. "...but man....that part is _really _suckish."

"Yeah...well don't worry about it. Freddie and I will take care of you when it happens." Carly smiled at her.

"Geeze don't make me sound so pathetic.." Sam sighed. "...but thanks." She replied, returning the smile before trying to sit up.

"Oh, do you think it's smart to sit up right now?" Carly asked, unsure if her friend was going to make herself dizzy again.

"I'm ok." Sam replied quietly as she pulled herself up with a small wince and sat back into her pillow against the headboard.

"And you're not going to get sick?" Carly asked hesitantly.

"No, I'm alright, really." Sam sighed.

"Ok." Carly gave her a small sympathetic smile. "Do you think you'll be ok if I leave you alone for a few minutes?"

"Sure...but why?" Sam asked curiously.

"I have to go shower and get ready for school."

"Oh, right.." Sam sighed.

"Here." Carly reached over towards her nightstand and picked up the remote. "Why don't you watch some TV while you wait?" She added as she clicked on her television before handing Sam the remote.

"Sounds good." The blond girl smiled as she watched her friend get off the bed. "Although, after you take a shower, can I?" She asked hesitantly, remembering what had occurred last time. While the sick girl was still a bit scared of that happening again, she knew that the only way she could take a shower today was if Carly was home. There was no way she was going to chance passing out in the bathroom if it meant Spencer or Freddie had to drag her out. Just the thought of them seeing her in such a position made her shiver with embarrassment.

"Of course." Carly smiled as she walked over to her dresser and pulled out a drawer. She began rifling through some clothes to find an outfit for the day.

"Thanks." Sam sighed, sitting back into the bed. "I'll try not to faint this time."

"That's good." Carly chuckled as she walked over to her bathroom door. "I'll be finished soon."

"Have fun."

"Thanks." Carly replied with a small laugh. Sam watched quietly as her friend shut the door with a click. Soon the sound of rushing water could be heard through the door. Sam returned her eyesight to the TV and sighed contentedly as she flipped on the early morning news.

* * *

Ten minutes had passed as Sam continued to watch a few random news programs. She could tell that her best friend was done in the shower as she now heard the sounds of a blow dryer humming past the door. With a small sigh, the blond girl looked back at the TV, realizing how thirsty she was.

"Man, I need a drink.." Sam thought tiredly as she glanced over at her nightstand. To her luck she found out there was a full water bottle sitting on it. "Sweet." She replied happily, reaching over for it with a slight wince as she felt some pain in her stomach. As she picked up the drink, she couldn't help but notice that there was something else on the nightstand. "What's this?" Sam asked curiously, picking it up. It was a small rectangular piece of yellow paper folded over. The blond girl gently unfolded it to find....

"Twenty bucks?" Sam asked curiously, holding the bill in her left hand as she held the piece of paper in her right. "What's this doing here..." Her question trailed off as she realized that there was something written on the piece of paper. Sam's eyes quickly scanned the note.

**Sam,**

**I believe this is yours!**

**-Spencer**

"Huh?" Sam asked quietly as she noticed that there was a small smiley face drawn under the message. "Spencer?" She furrowed her brow in confusion, wondering if this was a dream. "I...have no idea what this means..." Sam looked around the room curiously for a moment before glancing back down at the bill in her hand. "...but hey! Free money is free money!" She smiled happily, having just made twenty bucks for no reason.

* * *

**So it seems Sam had a pretty good morning! Carly helped her to avoid puking and then she made twenty bucks out of nowhere! (Again, poor Spencer.. xD) I figured it would be sweet of him to make good on his promise although he didn't really have to... =P  
**


	70. Carly's Crazy Morning

Twenty minutes had passed as Carly managed to take a shower and blow dry her hair. Sam was sitting on the bed petting Frothy by her left side as the door finally opened.

"Hey.." Carly walked over as she continued to pull a hairbrush through her hair. The girl was fully dressed for school. "You can use the shower now."

"Thanks." Sam replied as she slowly shuffled her feet over the side of the bed, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths to prepare herself to stand up.

"Here.." Carly held out her hand and helped pull her friend off the mattress.

"Again...thanks." Sam replied with a chuckle. "Getting up is the hardest part."

"No problem." Carly smiled as she resumed pulling the hairbrush through her hair. She watched as her best friend slowly limped over to the her dresser and pulled out a drawer. Sam rifled through the clothes and quickly plucked out a pair of red plaid pajama pants and a black t-shirt.

"I never get to change into more pajamas when I wake up on a Tuesday. It's kind of nice." Sam chuckled as she turned around to face Carly.

"I'll say!" Carly laughed. "I think yesterday was the first time in a while that I stayed in mine for a whole twenty four hours."

"Yeah...being lazy is great." Sam smiled.

"Well enjoy it while you can." Carly chuckled.

"I will." Sam rolled her eyes in humor as she started to limp towards the bathroom.

"Oh, and make sure you call if.."

"If I start to pass out. I got it. Don't you trust me now?" Sam moaned as she turned around in the doorway.

"Actually yes, now I do." Carly laughed.

"Gee thanks." Sam smiled as she rolled her eyes once more and shut the door. Carly just chuckled as she turned around and walked over to her vanity desk.

_'At least Sam's feeling better.' _Carly smiled as she looked into her mirror while continuing to brush her hair.

* * *

A short amount of time passed as Sam got into the shower and washed up. She even managed to glance down at her intimidating incision this time without getting sick. After cleaning out her wound, the girl finished up in the shower and stepped out to put on her clothes.

_'Ugh..' _Sam sighed in her head as she started the annoying task of changing. Her stomach always hurt during this and after having surgery, a simple thing such as changing clothes became extremely tiring. With another long sigh, the blond girl managed to get everything on properly. _'Alright..'_ Sam took a deep breath and let it out as she glanced over at the sink's mirror. She noticed that even though she still had dark rings under her eyes and that her skin was still a paler shade, she felt and looked a bit better than before. _'I can deal with that..' _She replied quietly, limping her way over to the bathroom door as she opened it.

* * *

Carly had been sitting on her bed patiently for her friend as the time passed. Frothy had managed to settle his head in the girl's lap as she pet him. The two were enjoying each other's company until the sound of the bathroom door opening caught their attention.

"Hey, you do alright?" Carly asked gently as she stood up.

"Yup." Sam nodded, limping over to her as she held her right side. "Although, I do have one question.."

"Sure."

"Um, is it bad if my wound is gushing blood?" The blond girl asked slowly.

"What?!" Carly's eyes widened as her face turned to a look of worry. "Of course that is! Oh my gosh! Sam we need to get you to the..." The brunette girl's words were cut off as her friend chuckled.

"Oh, then it's a good thing mine isn't." Sam smiled. Carly just stared at her with her mouth agape. She finally shook off her initial shock and glared angrily at her friend.

"Not funny Sam!" She spat out.

"Sorry." The sick girl shrugged apologetically.

"Well I see you're feeling better." Carly huffed, not too thrilled with her friend's humor.

"Just a bit." Sam held up her fingers to show an inch, smiling the whole time. Carly couldn't help but let go of her anger and laugh.

"That's good, but no more joking around with this stuff."

"Fine, fine!" Sam held up her hands to show her she was done. Carly sighed, knowing her best friend was most likely lying, but decided to push that thought away for now.

"So, do you want to go downstairs and get some breakfast?" She offered, wondering if her friend still felt nauseous or not.

"Actually, yeah." Sam replied with a smile as the two girls slowly made their way out of the bedroom, Frothy following at their heels.

* * *

More time had passed as Sam and Carly sat downstairs at the kitchen table eating bowls of Rice Krispies. The sick girl realized her stomach was starting to hurt a bit more, but it wasn't anything too distracting. She was content talking to her best friend while eating a bowl of cereal, so she paid no mind to the dull ache. After a little while, Spencer came out of his room and walked in. The girls looked up as they noticed he had his pajamas on and that his hair was tussled. It seemed as though he had a rough night.

"Hey girls......morning." The man stated lazily, yawning as he stretched his arms over his head.

"Morning Spence." Carly smiled as Sam nodded. They watched as he finished up his yawn and glanced over at them.

"How ya feeling sunshine?" He asked with a smile as he noticed Sam looked a bit better. He also figured her stomach felt a bit more at ease considering she had been happily scooping out spoonfuls of cereal the whole time.

"Little better." Sam nodded. "I still got a bit dizzy this morning, but nothing I couldn't handle.." Sam paused for a moment as Carly cleared her throat. "Nothing _Carls_ and I couldn't handle." She added with a laugh, realizing her best friend deserved some recognition.

"That's good." Spencer replied happily. Just then his watch let out a small beep. "Whoops." He stated, glancing down at his wrist. The girls watched as his expression change softly. "Uh Sam.." He started to say.

"Pill, right?" She sighed.

"Mhm." Spencer nodded apologetically.

_'No wonder I had been feeling better...'_ Sam moaned, realizing she was going to get hopped up on the medicine once more. She quickly deduced that was why she also felt the pain in her stomach throb harsher.

"Let me just go get it.." Spencer stated as he walked over to the counter and retrieved the bottle. As he pulled the top off, Carly looked at him curiously.

"Uh, mind telling me what time it is?" She asked hesitantly, not having checked it since she woke up.

"Hm? Oh sure." Spencer stated as he walked over and handed Sam her pill. He watched the girl pop it into her mouth and pick up her drink before glancing down at his watch. "It's 8:03." Upon hearing her brother's words, Carly's eyes widened.

"WHAT?!" She exclaimed drastically. Sam looked over at her curiously, continuing to sip her water.

"What's wrong?" Spencer asked worriedly as his little sister jumped up from her seat.

"I'm going to be late!" She murmured, running towards the stairs. She didn't realize how much time had passed, especially when she was sitting around and eating breakfast with her friend. Both Spencer and Sam watched as the brunette girl bolted up the steps and disappeared out of sight.

"Yikes.." Spencer replied. "I forgot she had school."

"Yeah.." Sam sighed, realizing she was the one to cause her friend's lateness. "You know, you should probably drive her to school...to get her there on time."

"Would that be alright? I mean, if I left you for ten minutes or so?"

"Sure." Sam replied, slurping down her last spoonful of cereal. "I'll be fine." She replied, hoping that would be true. She had just taken another dose of Vicodin and realized it would throw her body into chaos once more. She figured she could just sit on the couch while Spencer was gone.

"Alright." Spencer stated cautiously, not wanting to leave the girl. But he knew that she wasn't lying about feeling better as she did seem to be in a better mood today.

"Oh, but Spence? I do have a question about something before you go.."

"Yeah? Shoot." He smiled, wondering what she wanted.

"Um, I kind of woke up today and found a twenty dollar bill on the nightstand. There was a note from you that said it was mine." She paused as he began to open up his mouth to speak. "But, this doesn't mean I want to give it back." Sam stated flatly as the man closed his mouth with a click. "I just want to know why you gave it to me." She added with a nervous smile.

"You earned it." He smiled.

"Huh?"

"This morning...at four."

"Again...huh?" Sam asked, squinting her eyes, trying to figure out what he was talking about. She was asleep the whole time and couldn't remember anything,

"I had to give you your medicine early this morning, so I went into your room and tried to feed it to you."

"You did?"

"Yup." Spencer chuckled. "And you kept telling me to go away, so I finally had to bribe you to eat the pill. You wouldn't do anything I said until I told you I'd give you twenty bucks."

"Seriously?!" Sam asked in shock.

"Mhm." Spencer nodded. "You really hustled me up there." He laughed.

"Oh um..sorry?" Sam offered with a weak smile, feeling a bit guilty for her rude actions. "If you want the money back I left it on the nightst.." Her words were cut off as he held up his hand to make her stop talking.

"Say no more! You earned that fair and square. It's yours now." He smiled as the girl looked down in thought curiously.

"Alright..." Sam replied, a bit hesitant to take his money, but then she shook the thought out of her head. "You don't have to tell me twice." She smiled, finally giving into her greedy tendencies. "Thanks."

"No problem." Spencer chuckled, realizing the girl was easing back into her old personality as she accepted his gift. He then watched as Sam let out a soft sigh.

"It's so weird though..." She paused as he looked at her curiously. "I can't remember _any _of that.."

"Yeah, I figured as much..." Spencer laughed. "Especially when you slapped me in the face."

"I what?" Sam's eyes widened.

"You're a bit tough when you're half asleep." Spencer laughed. "But no worries, I'll be ok."

"Geeze...sorry.." Sam replied, feeling extremely guilty now.

"Like I said, no problem." Spencer quickly reassured her. "My jaw will recover." He stated as they looked over at each other and laughed.

"Although, if it's any consolation, I think karma came back to me on that." Sam replied with a chuckle.

"Huh?" Spencer asked curiously.

"I woke up this morning because Carly rolled over in her sleep and slapped me in the face."

"Oh!" Spencer's eyebrows went up as the two looked at each other for a moment. They couldn't help but start chuckling.

* * *

A few minutes passed as Sam was now sitting on the couch, facing the TV. Frothy sat by her right side, curled up in a ball as he was purring and resting his head on top of her leg. She scratched behind his ears gently as she kept her eyes glued to the TV screen. Spencer had just finished up cleaning the kitchen and was now in his room getting dressed to take Carly to school. Another minute or so passed when Sam looked behind her when she heard footsteps bounding down the stairs.

"Alright...got two pencils,a pen, my backpack.." Carly murmured to herself as she made her way across the living room and over to the couch. Sam watched as her friend set her backpack down on the table before sitting next to her. "And how are you?" Carly asked quickly, realizing that although her time was short, she wanted to make sure Sam was ok before she left.

"I'm fine..I finished eating and.." Sam was cut off as Carly reached over and put the back of her hand against her forehead.

"Hm, you may be a bit warm! I'm going to get the thermometer to check your temperature!" Carly explained quickly as she got up and jogged towards Spencer's bathroom and out of sight.

"Um..ok." Sam replied awkwardly to the now empty room. There was a moment of silence before Carly came back out with the device in her hand.

"Here you go!" She replied quickly, practically shoving it into her friend's mouth.

"Mrph.." Sam mumbled as she held the thermometer under her tongue. She looked over as Carly stood back up.

"Hm if you're feeling a bit hot, you might need something to cool you down.." The girl spoke to herself softly.

"Carly it's ok, I.." Sam's muffled voice was cut off as her best friend bolted across the room and into the kitchen. The brunette girl came back out quickly with a bowl of water and a hand towel.

"Here's some water if you're feeling a bit feverish.." She explained as she set the bowl on the table.

"Thanks but.." Sam was once again cut off as her friend turned around and made a dash into the hallway leading to Spencer's room. She came back out in a matter of seconds carrying a blanket.

"And here's an extra blanket if you get too cold..." Carly draped it over the back of the couch.

"That's nice and all but I really don't..." Sam sighed as her friend once again ran across the living room, completely ignoring her.

"And in case you get nauseous.." Carly murmured as she disappeared back into the kitchen. Sam just sat back into the couch, staring into space with a defeated look as the thermometer hung lifelessly in her mouth. Her best friend finally returned. "..here are some saltine crackers and a bottle of ginger ale..." Carly explained as she set the supplies down on the table.

"You're making me nauseous just by watching you.." Sam muttered under her breath sarcastically.

"What? You're nauseous?" Carly asked quickly, having heard that small part of her friend's words.

"No! I was just kidding I.." Sam was cut off as Carly quickly picked up a garbage can and dragged it over. She sat down next to the blond girl on the couch and pulled it up, holding it towards her friend's mouth.

"Easy now.." Carly replied, holding the can up with one hand as she patted Sam's back with her other.

"I'm not going to puke!" Sam replied hastily as Carly cocked her eyebrow.

"Oh, ok then!" The girl gently placed the garbage can on the floor before standing back up. "What else, what else.." She murmured to herself looking in all directions. Her eyes finally widened as she snapped her fingers. "Hot water bottle and cold compress!" Carly exclaimed, started to make a beeline towards Spencer's bathroom. The blond girl just stared in awe at her friend's actions.

"Holy crab! Calm down!" Sam yelled out, the thermometer dropping from her mouth and onto her lap. She finally managed to stop the brunette girl in her tracks before she could disappear from the room once more.

"Huh? What's wrong?!" Carly asked, turning around to face her friend.

"Nothing! I'm ok! You just need to chill! You're spazzing out!" Sam exclaimed as she reached over and set the thermometer on the table.

"Sorry.." Carly replied bashfully, sliding a piece of her hair behind her ear. "It's just that, I don't like leaving you when you're this sick and.."

"It's fine." Sam offered her a small smile. "I've got Spencer here so you don't have to freak out. I'll be ok."

"Yeah..but.." Carly started to say until Sam cut her off.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be alright. Just focus on your test, ok?"

"My test!" Carly put her hands against the sides of her head. "Oh man!" She moaned as she spastically started looking around the room to find her stuff for school. Sam just raised her eyebrows as she watched her friend run back over towards her. Carly quickly sat down on the couch next to Sam and began rifling through her backpack. "My notebook...where's my notebook?!" She asked frantically as the door bell rang.

"Um Carly, I think someone's at the doo.." Sam started to say as her best friend snapped her head over towards her.

"I know! I have ears!" Carly yelled. Sam's eyes just widened as she stared back at her friend in shock. Carly's expression instantly changed when she realized what she just did. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that, I just...are you ok?" Carly quickly apologized to her friend, having accidentally yelled at her.

"I dunno.." Sam replied in fake insult as her eyes trailed down to the ground. "You hurt my feelings.." She added a small sniffle as a joke. Carly just laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh shut up." She chuckled as Sam looked back at her and smiled. The doorbell then rang once more. "Arg!" Carly pulled at her hair in frustration. "I don't have time for this!" The brunette girl quickly got up off the couch and ran over to the door.

When she opened it up, she revealed Freddie to be standing there with a big bag dangling from his left hand as he right one was shoved casually into one of his jean pockets. The boy smiled at her as he stood out in the hall. "Hey there, good morn...AHH" Was all he could say as Carly grabbed him by the arm and flung him into her apartment before slamming the door shut behind him.

"Ooof!" Freddie stumbled a bit as he caught himself before he could fall. He looked back at his friend incredulously, wondering what was up. Before he could ask though, Carly had already bolted across the living room and was already halfway up the steps, murmuring something about finding her notebook. Freddie just cocked an eyebrow curiously as he watched the girl disappear from the room. After staring at the empty space for a moment oddly, he glanced over and noticed Sam was on the couch. "Uh.."

"She's running a bit late." Sam gave him a small shrug.

* * *

**Poor Carly! She's late for school and freaking out about leaving Sam behind when she's sick, all at the same time! I figured this would be a funny looking scene since it shows Carly isn't perfect and has her own spastic moments. xD**


	71. Loopy: Part Two

"Ooof!" Freddie stumbled a bit as he caught himself before he could fall. He looked back at his friend incredulously, wondering what was up. Before he could ask though, Carly had already bolted across the living room and was already halfway up the steps, murmuring something about finding her notebook. Freddie just cocked an eyebrow curiously as he watched the girl disappear from the room. After staring at the empty space for a moment oddly, he glanced over and noticed Sam was on the couch. "Uh.."

"She's running a bit late." Sam gave him a small shrug.

"Oh." Freddie chuckled as he made his way over to the couch and sat down next to the girl as he placed his large bag on the table.

"What's in that?" Sam asked curiously as she eyed it.

"Oh nothing. Just some stuff. So how are you feelin-?" Freddie was cut off as Sam interrupted him.

"What kind of stuff?" She asked as Freddie smiled, giving off a soft sigh. He realized that he wasn't going to get a word in edgewise unless he revealed to her what he had brought with him first.

"Well, since we're going to be spending a few hours together.." He had to pause as Sam let off a small moan.

"Don't remind me." She sighed.

"Ok then." Freddie causally stated as he grabbed his mysterious bag and stood up. "Bye." He shrugged and turned around. Sam watched the boy start to walk away, suddenly feeling an odd sense of deja vu.

"Dangit Fredward! Get back over here!" She called out as he turned around with a small smirk. _'I hate it when he does that!'_ Sam thought angrily, knowing he was purposely pushing her buttons.

"What's that?" He asked, putting a hand to his ear. "You say something?"

"I said.." Sam started to growl through her teeth until she had to pause for a moment. She hadn't realized it, but as she was talking to Freddie her painkillers had started to work their way through her system, and it was just this moment she noticed how lightheaded she felt. "I said..I.." Sam paused for a moment in a dead stare until she closed her eyes. Freddie's happy demeanor instantly vanished.

"You ok?" He asked cautiously as he made his way back over and sat down on the couch again. He watched the girl slowly opened her eyes, her head bobbing back and forth a bit as she refocused her eyesight.

"Y-yeah, I'm alright.." Sam replied quietly. "Just the stupid medicine...feeling a bit funky.."

"Sick funky?" Freddie asked cautiously, getting ready to grab the garbage can.

"No..." She stated, a bit irked that both of her friends were ready to shove a garbage can into her face at the slightest statement, although she couldn't hold it against them considering she _had_ been a puke machine the last few days. " I just feel a bit weird...I'm ok.." She replied quietly once more. "So...what's in the bag?"

"Huh?" Freddie asked until he realized that Sam was still curious about it. "Oh, that." He chuckled as he brought it back up and placed it onto the table once more. "Well I was figuring that since we were going to be together for the day." He then paused abruptly as he pointed a finger towards the sick girl. "Don't you say a word!"

"I wasn't going to." Sam added honestly.

"Good." Freddie smiled as he continued. "Now, as I was saying, I decided to bring some stuff for us to do to pass the time...that is, if you're up to it of course.." He added, making sure Sam knew she wasn't obligated to do anything with him if she was too tired.

"Stuff? Like what?" Sam asked oddly as the boy began rummaging through his bag.

"Well first of all I have these." Freddie explained as he pulled out a few colorful rectangular boxes and handed them over to her. She took them gently and looked at them.

"Puzzles?" Sam asked in monotone as she cocked an eyebrow. Freddie just gave off a nervous chuckle as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Yeah..." He replied bashfully.

"Kind of lame Fredwardo." Sam stated as she looked at the various pictures of landscapes on the boxes.

"I know, but my mom wouldn't let me out of the apartment unless I brought them over." Freddie shrugged.

"Sure, blame your mom for this. You know you want to do these." Sam chuckled as she reached over and placed the puzzles onto the table.

"Pft...no." Freddie huffed in response as he shook his head. _'Aw, she doesn't like my puzzles..' _

"So...although I'm afraid to ask.." Sam paused for a moment as she blinked her eyes, trying to get rid of the weird sensation that was going through her head. "...what else did you bring?"

"Well I.." Freddie was cut off as the two kids turned their heads around and looked over the back of the couch to see their friend bounding down the steps, clearing two at a time.

"Where is that stupid notebook?!" Carly yelled in frustration as she stopped at the bottom step. Just then Spencer came walking out of his room lazily.

"What's all the hubbub?" He asked, fully dressed to drive to school as he jingled a set of keys in his right hand.

"Carly can't find her notebook." Sam answered weakly.

"Yeah!" the brunette girl murmured as she walked over towards the back of the couch. "I mean, I had it here Friday, set it down on the table after doing my homework, and POOF! It's gone!" She exclaimed as she pointed to the small table.

"Oh, the red one?" Spencer asked casually.

"Yes! Why?! Do you know where it is?" Carly looked over at her brother.

"Yeah.." Spencer replied as he turned around and pointed towards his bedroom. "..when I ran out of paper on my old sketchpad I borrowed it to..." That was all he could say as he turned back around to see his sister charging towards him at full speed. Before Spencer could properly react, the brunette girl flew past him in a blur of colors, accidentally knocking the poor man down in her haste.

"AH!" Spencer yelled out as he fell backwards, landing on the floor in a thud. Freddie and Sam just stared at him from over the back of the couch as the man let out a moan, statring up at the ceiling while laying on his back. "You're welcome!" He hollered out to Carly, who was already gone.

"You ok?!" Freddie asked cautiously as he got up from the couch and walked over to the man, holding his hand out to him to use for balance.

"Yeah.." Spencer replied in a daze as he grabbed Freddie's hand and slowly pulled himself up. "My spine broke my fall. Or my spine just broke...not really sure."

"And you're sure you're ok?" Freddie asked.

"Yeah no worries." Spencer smiled as he straightened out his back. "But when did you get here Freddo?"

"A few minutes ago. Carly let me in.." He then paused for a moment. "...well flung me in is more like it. Either way, she was the one who opened the door." Freddie finished with a chuckle.

"Alright, cool." Spencer smiled, glad to see he was here. "And is it alright for you to stay with.." His question was cut off as the boy nodded.

"Yup! I got permission to skip school."

"Really?" Spencer asked in awe. "How'd you pull that one off?"

"Well.." Freddie thought for a moment. "Let's just say that my mom made me agree to a lot of stuff that'll make me want to stay here as long as I possibly can, because when I go home.." The boy paused as he let off a small sigh.

"You're going to get sterilized?" Spencer laughed.

"Worse." Freddie moaned as the man cocked his eyebrow.

"What's worse then.." His question was cut off as Freddie raised his hand.

"I don't want to talk about it!" He sighed. Just then the two guys looked up as they heard a soft moan come from Spencer's bedroom.

"Aww Spencer!" Carly whined as she walked back into the room, clutching her notebook.

"What did I do wrong now?" He asked hesitantly, fearing what else she may do to him.

"You used up so much paper!" She exclaimed, flipping through it. "There's only like...5 pages of clean sheets left." She sighed, closing it with a flap.

"Sorry." Spencer shrugged bashfully. "You know how it is when I can't come up with an idea.."

"Yeah.." Carly stated slowly as she squinted her eyes and glared at him. "..but for future reference, stay away from my notebooks."

"Got it." Spencer gave her a small chuckle. With a long exasperated sigh, Carly walked over to the couch and sat back down next to Sam. She opened up her book bag and placed the notebook in before glancing at her friend.

"Alright now, are you sure you don't need anything before....I..go.." Carly trailed off as Sam smiled dreamily at her. The brunette girl saw the familiar glaze in her friend's eyes once more.

"Don't worry about me...Carl....leee.." Sam sat back into the couch and closed her eyes, chuckling quietly.

"Oh boy.." Carly sighed as she gave her friend a small smile. Whenever the blond girl started messing around with her name, it was obvious the medication had dissolved into her blood. By now Spencer and Freddie had walked back over towards the couch and watched curiously as Sam continued to chuckle. Freddie then looked over at Carly.

"Vicodin?" He asked.

"Vicodin." Carly confirmed with a nod of her head. Both she and Freddie glanced back at Sam to see that she now had her eyes open and was angling her bottom lip to try and blow her bangs out of her face. It was obvious she was just doing this for amusement as she laid her head against the back of the couch, giggling every once in a while as her hair flew upward.

"Well I guess it's good that you're leaving her in a positive note.." Freddie chuckled as he continued to watch the girl amuse herself by her own hair.

"Yeah.." Carly replied with a hesitant sigh as she glanced back over at her friend. While Sam was pretty happy now, she knew the girl was going to crash soon. Carly felt extremely guilty about leaving her best friend in this condition and was starting to have second thoughts about going to school, despite what the academic consequences would be.

"Hey kiddo?" Spencer looked over at his sister from behind the couch. "We better head out now if you want to make homeroom." He watched as the girl let out another soft sigh before looking back at Sam.

"I don't know...if I want to.." Carly replied quietly. Spencer looked over at her curiously before realizing she was torn about leaving her friend.

"Listen.." He stated softly. "If you're worried about Sam, we'll handle everything. It's no problem." He gave her a small smile, trying to ease her guilt.

"I know but.." Carly was cut off as her best friend interrupted her.

"Carly...look at me.." Sam explained hazily, glancing over towards the wrong side of the couch as she spoke to her cat. Frothy just looked up at her curiously, wondering what was wrong with his owner.

"Um, over here." Carly smiled, gently turning her friend's head over to look in her direction.

"Whoaa...how'd you move so quick?" Sam smiled, her eyes closed. "Anyways.." The blond girl shook her head lazily for a moment before opening her eyes, making it obvious that she was trying to fight the medication. "Don't worry about me Carlsssss..." Sam started to slur her friend's name dramatically before biting her bottom lip to stop herself. Although the sick girl was aware of what she wanted to say, she knew the side effects were making her spacey. With another deep sigh, Sam struggled to pull her mind out of the funk. "Seriously Carly." She stated in a more normal tone, her face becoming focused and less drugged looking. "I want you to go to school. Don't worry about me, I'll be alright."

"But.." Carly started to say as Sam shook her head.

"No, I mean it. It's not the drugs talking..." Sam paused for a moment as she looked up in thought. "Yeah..it's not the drugs talking." She confirmed once more with a lazy smile, letting out another giggle before biting down on her bottom lip again. _'Stop that!'_ She screamed at herself in her head. She had to convince Carly that it was alright for her to leave, but it was a pretty hard task to do considering everything seemed to be so...funny.

"Are you sure?" Carly asked hesitantly. She could tell Sam was drifting in and out of the loopyness as she tried to talk and Carly wasn't sure if the drugs were fueling her friend's opinion or not.

"Yes, very." Sam stated firmly, making sure she kept eye contact to show her best friend that she was stating the truth. Carly looked at her for a moment, finally understanding that Sam was aware of what she was saying and was in fact being honest. "And don't worry.." The blond girl started to say as Carly watched her eyelids begin to slide down. "I won't be alone." Sam smiled lazily as she held up her hand weakly and pointed in front of her. "I've got that handsome guy over there to help me.." Both Carly and Spencer's eyes widened as they noticed where the sick girl was pointing to. Her finger was aimed directly at Freddie.

* * *

**Oh my! Is Sam just being crazy or did she let something slip out? That's for you guys to decide since her mind is in such a funk, meaning it could go either way. =P  
**

**(Also, just a quick note here- I decided to put the last line in for the lack of Seddie interaction from the past few chapters. Don't worry non-Seddies! Your ships will not be tarnished by this! xD)  
**


	72. And The Day Begins

"And don't worry.." The blond girl started to say as Carly watched her eyelids begin to slide down. "I won't be alone." Sam smiled lazily as she held up her hand weakly and pointed in front of her. "I've got that handsome guy over there to help me.." Both Carly and Spencer's eyes widened as they noticed where the sick girl was pointing to. Her finger was aimed directly at Freddie.

"H-handsome?" Freddie croaked out in a mixture of disbelief and shock.

"Yeah." Sam replied, lazily opening up her eyes up as she moved her pointer over towards Spencer. "But you guys have no clue who I'm talking about...do you?"

"Um not really no.." Freddie answered awkwardly as the girl was now inferring that Spencer was the handsome one.

"Neither do I..." And with that Sam let her arm drop lazily to her side as she slumped over Carly's lap and started giggling once more. "We're all handsome.."

Carly couldn't help but laugh as she patted her friend's back. "Alright, calm down chuckles.." She spoke softly as Sam took a deep breath and slowly sat back up with her friend's help.

"Man, she's really fading." Spencer laughed as he looked over at his patient.

"No...you're fading." Sam looked up awkwardly at him, noticing that the man's face was getting blurry. Spencer smiled down at her sympathetically.

"Alright kiddo, just relax." He gave her a small pat on the head as she closed her eyes.

"Kayyy..." She sighed, resting her head on the back of the couch. With one last smile, Spencer looked over at his sister.

"You ready to go? We have to leave now if you want to make it on time."

"Um yeah, why don't you go on ahead without me and bring the car around front?" Carly asked as her brother nodded.

"Righty-O! I'll park right outside the main doors." Spencer smiled as he walked over to the elevator and pressed the button. "Oh, and Freddie?"

"Yeah?" The boy looked up.

"I'll be back in twenty minutes or so. You keep Sam calm until then, alright?"

"No problem." Freddie smiled as he glanced back at the couch. Sam was still sitting upright with her head leaning over the back. Her eyes were shut as her mouth hung open slightly. _'If she were any more calm, she'd be comatose.' _Freddie chuckled mentally. And with that, the elevator let off a small ding as it opened up. Spencer stepped in and gave the kids a small wave before he disappeared behind the door as it slid down.

Carly let off a sigh as she looked back over at her best friend. "Sam?" She asked softly as the blond girl lifted her head up and mumbled incoherently in response. "I'll be back later, alright?" Carly explained gently as her best friend kept her eyes closed.

"Ok." Sam smiled, opening her eyes halfway. She then lazily reached her arms out and pulled Carly into a hug. "Good luck on your um...uh...tryst..." Sam sighed, unable to finish her sentence properly.

Freddie's eyebrows went up as he heard Sam's mistake. He then looked over at Carly with a smug look. "A tryst? _Oh my!_ With who?.."

"She meant test!" Carly quickly snapped to the boy. She then rolled her eyes and looked back at her friend who was still lazily clutching onto her. "Thanks." Carly chuckled, returning the hug lightly so she wouldn't hurt Sam's wound. Freddie just stood there watching the girls with a smile. Although he knew that Sam's affectionate acts were a temporary result of the drugs, it still showed that the girl appreciated her friends. It was a bit nice to see her let down her emotional guard, as it proved to him that she was an actual human being. Freddie couldn't help but let off a small chuckle at this thought. He then watched as the two friends broke off their hug as Carly grabbed her bag and slid it over her shoulder before standing up.

"Oh yeah!" Carly murmured suddenly remembering something. She reached into her pocket and pulled something out. Freddie watched curiously as she handed the object to Sam.

"Whuh..?" Sam asked lazily, holding the small rectangular device weakly in her hands.

"It's your cellphone silly." Carly laughed. "The hospital gave it back along with your clothes."

"Oh.." Sam chuckled, flipping open the screen. "That wasss nice of themm.."

"Yes." Carly laughed. "Feel free to text me at any time."

"Texttt..?" Sam looked up at her with half open eyes, not understanding.

"Don't worry." Carly smiled. "Freddie will explain it to you later."

"Oh, okkkaayy." Sam giggled, starting to press random buttons on her cell.

"Now you take care of yourself." Carly added.

"I will....see ya latuh!" Sam gave a lazy wave as she continued to stare at her phone, seemingly entranced by it. Carly gave her a small smile before turning around to face Freddie.

"Can I speak with you for a sec?" Carly asked.

"Uh sure." He replied as she grabbed his arm lightly and pulled him across the living room and into the hallway leading to Spencer's bedroom. "But won't you be late for.." He was cut off as Carly shook her head.

"I can miss homeroom, I just need to tell you something." She stated as she let go of his arm.

"Ok, what's up?" He nodded his head, curious about what she had to say.

"Well it's obvious that Sam's a bit.." Carly's words trailed off as the kids heard the blond girl's voice come from the living room.

"_Yes...pineapple.._.." Sam's voice muttered through the hallway before she let off a giggle. Carly then looked back at Freddie.

"She's a bit spacey right now."

"Haven't really noticed." Freddie shrugged casually as Carly gave him a light shove.

"Shut up." She laughed before continuing. "Anyways, even though it looks like Sam's happy right now, I want you to understand that she could get emotional, especially in this state."

"What do you mean?" Freddie asked curiously, not sure what she meant.

"Last night Sam hugged me, but I had to pull her off because she was hurting her stomach."

"Um..and?" Freddie cocked an eyebrow.

"She got upset...like _really_ upset. She thought I was mad at her because I pulled her out of the hug, despite the fact that I explained the reason to her like a million times.."

"Oh." Freddie looked concerned. "What happened then?"

"Um she sort of sneezed and went to sleep." Carly shrugged bashfully. "But still, I want you to lay off the insults and jabs for a little bit, especially when she's like.." The kids stopped as they heard Sam's voice once more.

"_Five...no! Ten..twenty......yes! Twenty.."_

"..when she's like this." Carly finished, wondering what the heck her friend was thinking in the other room.

"Alright, I got it. No problem." Freddie smiled, showing Carly he understood that Sam was in a fragile state, despite how unbelievable that thought was.

"Thanks Freddie. I appreciate it." Carly smiled. "I know she insults you and stuff but.."

"Say no more." The boy smiled. "Sam's my friend too. I understand that there's a time and a place for those kind of things....even if she doesn't." And with that the two kids chuckled as they walked back towards the living room. Sam was still sitting upright on the couch as her head dangled down. Her arm was sitting on the cushion next to her left as her cell phone laid in her half open hand lifelessly. She looked like she was possibly falling asleep upright so Carly didn't want to bother her.

"Alright, take care guys!" The brunette girl stated as she walked over towards the elevator and pressed the button.

"Bye, see you soon." Freddie answered for the both of them as he watched his friend step into the elevator and disappear behind the door. There was a small whirring noise which meant Carly was now headed downstairs, so Freddie looked back over at the couch with a small sigh. He had to make sure he didn't mess things up.

"Hey Sam.." He stated softly, making his way across the living room. He then sat down next to the girl's left side.

"Hellooo.." She smiled, looking up at him with half closed eyes.

"So I was thinking that.." Freddie's voice trailed off as he heard something. "Huh..?" The boy looked around for a moment until he realized the small noise was coming from Sam's hand, specifically her cell phone. "Oh." He gently reached down and picked the device up. Sam made no attempt to question this as she just sat there, lazily smiling and staring into space. "Uh.." Freddie slowly held the phone up to his ear. "Hello?"

_**"So yeah, that's an order of twenty pineapple pizzas to be delivered to the Bushwell Plaza apartment building. Eighth floor, apartment C, correct?"**_ A man's voice lazily read out an order over the line.

"What?! No! I don't want.." But before Freddie could say anything else, the man cut him off.

_**"Thanks for ordering at Stan's Pizza Delivery. Your pizzas will be delivered in ten minutes."**_ And with that the phone abruptly hung up.

Freddie's mouth hung open halfway in disbelief. The cell phone slipped out of his hand and fell into his lap as he tried to figure out what just happened. "I...can't...believe...Sam just ordered twenty pizzas..." He spoke slowly, staring into space. His thoughts were then broken off as the girl started giggling quietly.

"Pizza.." She chuckled. Freddie glanced at her with a wild look in his eyes.

You ordered twenty pizzas?!" He asked incredulously. "What would make you order twenty pizzas?!"

"Yummm.." Sam just laughed, resting her head on the back of the couch as she turned it to the side. Freddie took a deep breath and was about to say something else before he closed his mouth with a click.

_'I told Carly I wouldn't upset her but....oh my gosh! Did they say they would be here in TEN minutes?!' _Freddie gasped as he realized how soon that was. He was about to freak out until he paused for a moment. "Whoa...wait a second. Twenty pizzas in _ten_ minutes?" His brow furrowed in thought. "That's a pretty darn good delivery rate." He murmured, complimenting the pizza place.

The boy couldn't help but smile at this. _'Sam would know the number of a pizza place that is open at eight in the morning and deliveries an order like that quickly.' _Freddie thought as he reached down and grabbed Sam's phone from his lap. He knew he had to cancel that order so he flipped the phone back open and began scrolling through her contacts to find the place's number.

**Carly**

**Cathy's Cake Shop**

**Cheesecake Warehouse**

**Crazy Steve's Beef Jerky Barn**

**Dan's Danishes**

**Edna's Eats**

Freddie sighed as he continued to scroll down the list. '_I should have known that all of Sam's contacts would be food places...'_

**Frank's Frankfurters**

**Fredweirdo**

Freddie paused for a moment, smiling at the fact that he made it onto his friend's contact list, despite the insulting name. He then continued to click the down arrow on Sam's cell to rifle through the rest of her contacts.

**Galini's Pie Shop**

**Hamburger Hut**

**Herman**

Freddie cocked an eyebrow at the last one but continued on anyway.

**House**

**Insideout Burger**

**Jerky Store**

Freddie smiled at that one, noticing it was the second beef jerky place Sam had listed on her phone. _'Boy does that girl love her jerky..'_ He laughed in his head. He then continued to scroll down a few more sections until he found the S area.

**Schneider's Snacks**

**Spencer**

**Stan's Pizza Delivery**

"That's the one!" Freddie stated out loud happily. Sam lazily glanced over at him.

"Huh?" She asked out weakly, completely bombed out of her head.

"Oh, uh nothing, just relax." He smiled at the girl.

"Ok.." She chuckled, resting back against the couch. Freddie then glanced down at the number as he hit the call option. He held the phone back up to his ear and waited for it to start ringing. To his dismay the line returned with the busy signal.

"What?" Freddie asked out as he clamped the phone shut before opening it and hitting redial. He waited a second until he heard the busy signal once more. "No!" He yelped out, realizing that his time was growing short as the place was probably in the middle of making Sam's pizzas, or most likely driving them to the apartment right now. The frustrated boy tried redialing once more. He moaned as he heard the familiar buzz of failure. With a grunt he slammed the phone shut and placed it on the table. "I can't believe I can't get through to cancel it.." He sighed, sitting forward as he rested one of elbows on his knees and held his head up in defeat.

"Cancel what?" Sam asked curiously with a smile. Freddie looked over at her and sighed.

"Your crazy order!"

"My whaaat..?"

"The pizzas.." Freddie moaned, realizing she had already forgotten about them.

"Ooh are we getting pizza?" Sam asked with an excited and drugged smile.

"Yes..yes we are. Lots of it." Freddie sighed, tilting his head down as he buried his face in his hands. _'And the day begins..'_ He thought tiredly, noticing that he had only been alone with Sam for five minutes and had already messed things up.


	73. Oops!

"Ooh are we getting pizza?" Sam asked with an excited and drugged smile.

"Yes..yes we are. Lots of it." Freddie sighed, tilting his head down as he buried his face in his hands. _'And the day begins..'_ He thought tiredly, noticing that he had only been alone with Sam for five minutes and had already messed things up. With another long sigh, Freddie let out a moan. "Aw man, there's no way I can pay for these pizzas unless I use up everything in my wallet...and possibly more."

"Shhhhh..." Sam gently reached over and clamped her hand over the boy's mouth with a giggle.

"Mpph??" Freddie looked over at her curiously as she let go.

"I've got it covered..." She looked at him through half closed eyes.

"Oh you do huh?" Freddie glanced at her curiously, wondering what the girl had in mind.

"Yeah..no worries." Sam shook her head lazily as a few of her bangs slipped over her eyes. "You see...I've got moneyyyy..." She then nodded her head up and down happily.

"_You_ have money?" Freddie asked oddly, wondering if she was just off in dreamland as the girl never had any on her.

"Mhm." Sam smiled, opening her eyes back up a little more. "I've got twenty bucks....so chill. You're worrying for nothing." She chuckled once more.

"Sam..." Freddie moaned, realizing his friend was too drugged to have any perception or understanding of the situation. "That's not going to cover the cost!"

"Yes it is." She furrowed her brow, looking up at him through the haze. "Twenty bucks....twenty pizzas....see? I've got it alllllllllll figured out. And you think I'm bad at...math.." She then closed her eyes and sat back into the couch, chuckling.

Freddie just looked at her, letting off a huge sigh. While he was still in disbelief that his friend ordered twenty pizzas, he realized that she was at least _trying _to take care of the order. It was obvious that the girl had thought out the situation, despite it being completely wrong. Of course, when on drugs, thinking doesn't really mean much in terms of figuring out a logical solution. In Sam's world, twenty bucks would cover twenty pizzas, but he knew that wasn't the case. Freddie realized he would have to fork over the rest of the money when the time came.

"Alright, Sam?" He asked as the girl looked over at him.

"Yah?"

"Where's your twenty bucks?" He sighed, figuring that he could use all the help he could get at this point.

"My what..?"

"Your money." Freddie moaned, realizing she probably dreamt that up too.

"I don't have any money.." Sam looked at him curiously.

"I should have guessed as much, huh?" Freddie couldn't help but let out a nervous chuckle. Now he had _no_ help, meaning the full cost was going to fall on his wallet. Sam just stared at him oddly, realizing that her friend looked upset.

"Freddie..." She asked him quietly, her expression softening. Despite how hazy she was, she had been noticing that he was sighing and moaning a lot, meaning that he was bothered about something.

"Yeah..?" He sighed, depressed about the fact that he was going to loose a lot of money for nothing.

"Did I do something wrong?" Sam's cocked her head as she tried to focus her eyesight on the boy next to her. Even though her thoughts were out of whack, she was struggling to fight through the medication as best as she could. While she wasn't fully aware of the situation, she could tell something wasn't right by her friend's expression.

"What?" Freddie lifted his head up as he looked over at her. He noticed that she looked a bit depressed. _'Carly warned me about this..' _He sighed, realizing he needed to do some quick damage control. "No, Sam, you didn't do anything wrong." He gave her a gentle smile.

"You suree...?" Sam asked, closing her eyes halfway. "Because..I have no idea what's going on.." She moaned, finally shutting her eyes as she sat back into the couch. The girl felt her mind fading in and out on her and she was starting to forget everything that just happened.

"I'm completely sure!" Freddie smiled, wanting to bring his friend back into a happy spirit. He knew that she had been through a lot the past few days, and despite what she just did, he wanted to make sure she knew that he wasn't upset about it. "Everything's ok." He nodded as he reached over and patted her knee comfortingly.

"Ok.." She sighed, looking down at his hand before glancing up at his face. Freddie stared into her eyes and realized she still looked sad. He knew he had to cheer her up.

"Um Sam?" He smiled at her.

"Huh?"

"You in the mood for pizza?" Freddie chuckled.

"Pizza." She smiled, closing her eyes and resting back into the couch. "Yeah.."

_'Alright good..' _He sighed, glad to see that brought her out of the sad funk.

"When's the pizza coming?" Sam asked softly, her eyes remaining shut as she leaned against the back of the couch.

"Soon..." Freddie's brow furrowed. _'Too soon..'_ He thought worriedly as he reached into his left pant pocket and pulled out his wallet. Sam just sat quietly on the couch, not bothering to open her eyes or continue the conversation. _'Alright, let's see what I have here..'_ Freddie rifled through the small leather case and managed to find three twenties and two singles. _'Sixty two bucks...' _He sighed. _'Good thing I save my allowance..' _He moaned in his head, knowing that all of his work was for nothing. _'Still, I don't think that will cover all of it..'_ Freddie thought as he slumped forward with the bills dangling from his hands. He just wished he could turn back time and stop Sam from ordering. He remembered that when he was talking to Carly in the other room, they heard the girl start off at five pizzas and make her way up to twenty. Five would have been alright, but twenty was dramatic. With another long sigh, Freddie glanced over at Sam as he stood up. "Sam?" He asked the girl gently.

"Mm?" She cracked one eye open and looked at her blurry friend.

"I have to make a quick trip to my apartment, but I'll be right back ok?" He finished as she stared at him for a moment, not responding. "Sam?"

"Ok.." She sighed, closing her eyes back up. Freddie noticed she was starting to look more beat, probably considering she had been laughing up a storm before.

"Why don't you just relax and lay down for the time being?"

Sam opened her eyes halfway and looked at him. Her face was unresponsive as she nodded in agreement.

"Ok.." Freddie replied as he glanced over at the left side of the couch and noticed Frothy was curled up in a ball, currently in Sam's way. "C'mere kitty.." He stated softly as he reached over and picked the cat up.

"RRRRRRrrrrrrwrw." Frothy instantly started growling as he was shaken from his sleep.

"Whoa, calm down!" Freddie exclaimed as the cat started jerking a bit in his arms while he walked across the room and over to the chair.

"MRRWWWrrrrrr." The cat continued to growl.

"Sorry sorry!" Freddie replied quickly as he set Frothy down on the chair. As soon as the cat was let go, he turned around to face Freddie and hissed at him.

"Froth...stop.." Sam called out weakly, watching the whole thing from the couch. The cat looked over at her as he cocked his head before settling himself down in the chair. Freddie couldn't help but chuckle as he glanced back over at Sam.

"Thanks." He replied with a smile, although it faded when he saw the blond girl had her eyes closed.

"Alright, let's get you settled down.." The boy walked back over towards the couch and sat on top of the table so he was sitting face to face and knee to knee with the sick girl. She opened her eyes up and watched as Freddie reached over to the left side of the couch and grabbed a pillow. "Easy now." He placed it gently on top of her stomach and applied some pressure to it. "Here, move with me.." He instructed the girl quietly as he helped her turn around on the couch and put his hand up against her back. Sam used her friend's hand for leverage as slowly laid back down on the couch cushion with his help. After moving in sync with the girl, Freddie managed to lay Sam down in a more comfortable position. She let off a soft sigh of comfort as she looked up at the ceiling. "Now you just relax, ok?"

"Kay." Sam replied quietly, shutting her eyes. With a gentle smile, Freddie stood back up and turned around and started to walk towards the main door. Sam kept her eyes closed as she heard the boy open it and shut it quietly, signaling that he left the apartment. _'Ugh...' _The sick girl moaned in her head. Everything was still feeling funky and her body felt like jello, although her mind felt even worse. _'What did I say to him..?' _Sam thought tiredly, hoping it wasn't anything too revealing or embarrassing. At least when she was with Carly, she had an extra sense of security considering her best friend already knew all of her secrets. She could act like an idiot and not feel guilty about Carly seeing her in that state, but with Freddie it was different..._way_ different. Sam couldn't help but feel a bit more on edge around the boy, especially since the drugs were making her forget what she said. Sam let off another quiet moan at this as she placed an arm over her eyes. Thinking was tiring and she just wanted all the weird feelings to stop. As she started to think more about her situation, a small noise broke her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" Sam removed her arm off her face as she stared up at the ceiling. At first the noise was small and echoed a bit, as if it was from far away, but then it started to become louder and more defined sounding. She squinted her eyes as she finally realized what the noise was. It was the sound of a phone ringing. With a small wince, Sam managed to prop her upper body up by using her elbows. She then glanced around the room for a moment until she realized the ringing was coming from behind her head. Sam laid back down on the couch and looked up. She saw an upside down vision of the Shay's phone. It was sitting on top of the small table next to the right side of the couch.

"Oh.." She replied quietly, reaching over her head and plucking it off the charger. As she brought the phone back over, she flipped it right side up and placed it to her ear. "Hello?" Sam asked in a weak voice.

* * *

Meanwhile, Freddie made his way back into his own apartment. With a small sigh, he turned around and shut the door with a click. The boy then glanced around the room. Everything was quiet and as he left it. His mother was back at the hospital working her normal shift, so there was no one else but him home.

"Alright...time to loose a lot of money.." Freddie sighed as he walked across his apartment and into his room. The boy let off another small sigh of depression as he walked over to his closet. After sliding it open, he fumbled around with a few random articles of clothing before he found what he was looking for. Freddie reached in and pulled out a big white and purple...jewelry box. He flipped open the top and music instantly started playing as a ballerina on a small peg started to spin in sync with the song.

"God I hate this thing.." He mumbled, reaching into it to find his extra money. His mom had purchased it when she found out she was going to have a baby, hoping it would be a girl. Even though she had Freddie instead, she still gave him the box as a gift. He didn't mind about it until he hit the age of five, finally realizing that it was such a girly object. Still, as much as he hated the thing, he couldn't get rid of it. It was the first gift he received from his mother, and despite him risking all of his male pride by keeping it, he didn't mind shoving it into the back of his closet...for sentimental reasons.

This jewelry box was also the same one Carly had mentioned when they were doing the car contest for iCarly. The brunette girl had accidentally found it when they were hanging out, as Freddie forget to put it back in his closet. The only way he could stop her from laughing at him was by giving her an explanation of why he had it. Luckily for him, Carly understood and avoided cracking any further jokes at him. It was unfortunate that she let her words slip out in front of everyone though, as it gave Sam some nice material to use against him.

_'Although..Sam did stop..' _Freddie remarked thoughtfully, remembering how Carly fixed the situation by telling him that she managed to stop her best friend from cracking jokes at his expense by buying Sam a ton of beef jerky in exchange for the girl's obedience. Still, Freddie couldn't help but wonder why the blond girl _truly_ stopped. Even with a bribe from Carly, Sam managed to find loopholes about those sorts of things. He wondered why she never tried to find one about his jewelry box. A joke about a teenage boy with a jewelry box was just too good to pass up.

"You know..maybe I'll ask Sam about that later.." Freddie spoke to himself quietly as he opened up another compartment. As he continued to look through his box, the song finished and starting up again from the beginning. "Ugh, I just wish the battery would die out on this thing though..." Freddie moaned as the box continued to play a girly song as he rifled through the compartments. A few seconds passed as he finally found what he was looking for. The boy happily pulled out a wad of rolled up money and shut the jewelry box with a click, cutting off the music. With a sigh, Freddie reached back into his closet and set it back down, throwing a bunch of clothes back over it. After closing his closet, he stood back up and fingered the wad of cash.

"Ok, let's see what we have here.." Freddie mumbled to himself as he opened it up. After counting out the bills, he managed to come up with 237 dollars. "_That better_ be enough." He murmured, shoving the money into his pocket. He then walked out of his room and back across the apartment. After making sure the door was locked, he walked out into the hallway and shut it with a click.

With one last soft sigh, he made his way over to Carly's door and put his hand on the door knob. "Man Sam...even when you're sick you cost a lot." He moaned as he turned the knob slightly and opened the door back up. He stepped in and froze for a second as he glanced over at the couch. To his surprise...and dismay, he saw the girl laying down and talking on the phone.

"Yeah...99....yeah.." Sam nodded into the device as she held it up to her ear. Freddie's mouth just dropped as he stood in the doorway.

"SAM! NO!!" He sprinted across the room and snatched the phone out of the girl's hand before she could respond.

"Freddie what in the-" Sam was cut off as the boy placed the phone by his ear.

"Sorry, wrong number!" He exclaimed into the mouthpiece.

**_"But-"_** A woman's voice started to say on the other end.

"WRONG NUMBER!" Freddie yelled out once more before abruptly hanging it up. He then let off a sigh of relief as he placed the Shay's phone back into the charger on the small table next to the couch. As he stood back up, he looked over at the girl on the couch. He was caught off guard when she was just staring at him with wide eyes, obviously in shock. "I'm sorry." He apologized quickly, not meaning to upset her. "But I had to hang it up." He explained as Sam just stared at him, not moving a muscle. After a moment of awkward silence, he watched as she took a small gulp.

"W-why?" She asked out weakly, not understanding.

"Um, you can't use the phone.." Freddie tried to explain, knowing that he didn't have enough money to cover another outrageous order, especially one that included 99-somethings.

"I-I can't talk on the phone?" Sam asked again.

"No...sorry..." Freddie added apologetically once more. His wallet just wouldn't allow it. With another long sigh, he looked back over at Sam. "By the way, who was that on the phone?" He asked curiously, wondering what else his friend was trying to order.

"My mom."

* * *

**Poor Fredward. He can't seem to do anything right. xD**

**And I realize this chapter was a bit uneventful, but I do have some funny ideas for Sam and Freddie's day.. (It's just that I need to write up to them, so I have to get these side scenes out of the way!)**

**------**

**Also, I thought up a pretty fun idea that you guys might like! When Carly goes back to school, she's going to have to talk to a few random students, so I was thinking that it would be cool to put some of my faithful reviewers INTO the story! (Yes, you heard right! xD)**

**Now if for you guys want to be written as Ridgeway students, all you have to do is just tell me your name (****ONLY**** your first--don't reveal anything else!), and give me ONE adjective about your personality/interests. So these would examples:**

**John-Flirty**

**  
Emily-Shy**

**Also, for an extra bit of detail, you can give me your hair color or something, just so I can personalize your character a bit. But other than that, **_**no other details**_**. They're going to be short scenes, but I just thought it would be fun to put some reviewers into my story, sort of as an extra addition of fun! (Kind of like making you guys extras on iCarly! Except in fanfiction form haha!) I thought up this idea because I knew I was going to have to be making up a few random characters for a future chapter, and decided that instead of trying to figure out names, I could use you guys! (Think of it as another gift, as I appreciate you guys sticking by me with this story!)  
**

**So yeah, just find a way to give me that information, and I'll pick out a few of my faithful reviewers to incorporate into the story! ^_^ (At random! No hard feelings if you're not chosen as I may not be able to use everyone!)**


	74. Ridgeway Rumors

**I just finished up my special chapter for you guys! At first I was going to list the usernames of the reviewers I choose to write in before I started the chapter, but then I thought it would be more fun if you guys just read through it and see if you appear! Enjoy!**

* * *

Time had passed as Spencer pulled into the Ridgeway parking lot with his silver Volkswagen beetle.

"Alright kiddo, we're here...and on time too." He stated cheerfully as he braked to a stop right in front of the main doors of Ridgeway. He glanced over at his sister who had been staring out of the window the entire car ride, obviously in a defeated mood.

"Thanks.." Carly sighed, her voice heavy with depression.

"Try not to worry about Sam, ok? Freddie and I will handle it." Spencer tried to cheer his sister up as she got out of the car.

"I know..." Carly gave him a soft smile. "See you later." She sighed as she shut her door. The two siblings waved to each other before Carly turned around and started to walk towards the building. Spencer gave his car some gas as he drove out of the parking lot and back onto the road. He wanted to get home as soon as possible for Sam's sake.

* * *

Carly sighed sadly as she walked down the hallways of Ridgeway and eventually came upon her locker. She was depressed to be there, especially without Sam and Freddie by her side, but knew she had to take her test. With another long sigh, she fumbled around with her lock until it clicked open. The brunette girl reached in and began pulling a few books out when she felt a soft tap on her shoulder.

"Huh?" Carly asked as she turned around. She noticed that two of her friends, Caitlin and Mario were standing next to each other.

"Hey Carly." Caitlin greeted as Mario waved. "We were wondering if we could ask you something?"

"Huh? Oh, sure. What?" Carly asked curiously.

"Um..is it true that Sam had to get five pounds of ham surgically removed from her stomach over the weekend?!" Caitlin asked awkwardly, making Carly cock an eyebrow in confusion.

"No! Where in the world did you hear that?!" The brunette girl exclaimed.

"I heard it from Pete, who heard it from Ginn, who heard it from Veeanna, who heard it from Anna, who heard it.."

"Ok uh, never mind." Carly shook her head, having quickly deduced that a game of telephone was going around about her best friend's situation. "But no, that didn't happen!"

"Then why isn't Sam here today?" Mario asked as he looked around, noticing there was no sign of the girl.

"She's at home. I don't know what's going around the school, but the truth is that on Saturday she had to go to the hospital for appendicitis....not the surgical removal of ham.." Carly added awkwardly.

"Apenndiwhat?" Caitlin asked curiously.

"Appendicitis." Mario answered. "It's a disease where the appendix gets infected and has to get removed. My uncle had it a few years ago."

"Oh..." Caitlin responded before looking at Carly. "Owch! How'd she do?"

"Umm, alright for the most part." Carly chuckled nervously, remembering how her friend tried to make a run for it when confronted with the paramedics. "The surgery was done on Saturday and now she's resting. She'll probably be out of school for the rest of the week though."

"Oh, ok." Caitlin gave her a big smile. "So everything's alright then?"

"Yup." Carly nodded.

"That's good!" Caitlin chuckled as she reached over and playfully poked Carly in her side. "What would we do without the iCarly girls?"

"Hehe, stop that." Carly laughed, lightly pushing the girl's tickles away.

"Hey, I'll do anything for a laugh." Caitlin smiled as she shrugged. "Why don't you pass that onto Sam, maybe it'll make feel better?" The girl smiled until Mario cut her off.

"You want Carly to poke a girl in the side who just had stomach surgery?" He cocked an eyebrow as Caitlin looked over at him. "Don't you think that would make her feel _worse_?" He added sarcastically.

"Well...now that you put it that way." Caitlin scratched the back of her neck and chuckled nervously as she looked back at Carly. "Never mind about the poking." She laughed. "Just tell her I hope she feels better!"

"Same." Mario nodded with a smile.

"Of course." Carly laughed. "Thanks guys."

"No problem!" Caitlin answered as Mario nodded his head in agreement.

"See you later Carly!" Mario gave a wave as both he and Caitlin continued onto their classes.

"Bye guys!" Carly waved back before turning around to her locker and shutting it. _'Sam's going to be happy to hear that some kids are thinking about..'_ The brunette girl's thought was cut off as she turned back around to start walking to class when an explosion of purple smoke erupted right in front of her. "Oh my gosh!" Carly exclaimed, jumping back in shock as her backside hit her locker. Her books slipped out of her hands and fell to the floor with a thud as she stared at the big puff of purple smoke waft through the hallway in front of her. Her heartbeat started to calm down when she noticed someone walking forward from the smoke...specifically Magic Malika, the young magician who Freddie took to the dance.

"Hello Carly.." The girl stated in a mysterious tone as she waved her hands around, mystically making the smoke clear out of sight.

"Oh...uh..hello Malika.." Carly replied cautiously, still a bit weirded out by how the girl made those entrances. As Carly bent down to grab her notebooks from the floor, she realized someone else was standing behind the young magician. "Oh!" Carly murmured as she stood back up, not knowing who the other girl was. She was dressed up like Malika in another outrageous magician-like outfit.

"This is Morgan." Malika turned around and held her arms out to the brown haired girl. "She is my new assistant."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Morgan bowed as she flipped out her hand. An egg mysteriously appeared in her palm. "I'm studying under Malika's tutelage." Morgan explained as she brought up her free hand and smacked the egg in her palm. Carly cocked an eyebrow as yellow slime squished in between her fingers. "Oh.." The brown haired girl chuckled nervously. "A bird was supposed to fly out."

Malika stared at her assistant for a second before looking back at Carly. "She has a bit more to learn." The young magician shrugged.

"I see." Carly chuckled. "Still, it was a nice try." She nodded to Morgan as the girl smiled back.

"Anyways.." Malika started to say. "We heard about Sam. I still can't believe she was arrested for grand larceny."

"WHAT?!" Carly exclaimed as her eyes widened.

"We heard that the cops picked Sam up on Saturday night. They say she tried to steal $800 dollars worth of ham?"

Carly just stared at the two girls in disbelief. "NO! That didn't happen!" She exclaimed pitifully. "And where is all of this ham coming from?!" Carly added weakly.

"Oh, so she didn't get arrested?" Malika asked curiously.

"Of course not! She just got sick and had to go to the hospital for some surgery. She had appendicitis. She was NOT charged with grand larceny!" Carly quickly explained.

"Ooooh, ok then." Malika nodded her head, showing she understood. "So then, if Sam had surgery, is she still in the hospital?"

"No.." Carly replied, her voice calming down. "She was allowed to leave on Sunday. She's currently recuperating at home."

"Oh, well that's good." Malika replied. "Give her my regards to.." The girl's calm tone was then disrupted.

"Tell her to get well soon!" Morgan excitedly replied. Malika stared at her for a moment.

"Morgan, please...you must keep your voice calm." Malika closed her eyes and raised her arms up as she inhaled a deep dramatic breath. "Do not break your image of mystery..." She let out her deep breath as she wiggled her fingers while bringing her hands back down to her sides. Carly and Morgan just exchanged an odd look.

"Right, sorry." Morgan laughed.

"In time, you will learn." Malika nodded before looking back at Carly. "Will you give Sam this message for us?" The girl then clapped her hands together and a piece of paper mysterious poofed between them in a small puff of green smoke.

"Um sure.." Carly replied reluctantly as Malika handed her the note. The brunette girl was bit afraid to touch it at first but was relieved to see that it was just a normal piece of paper. Carly gently placed the note into her back pack.

"Alright Morgan.." Malika turned towards her assistant. "Let's take our leave!" The magician stated as she snapped her fingers. Soon enough another small explosion went off in the hallway, this time the color orange. Carly turned her head away and held a hand to her mouth as she coughed a bit. After clearing her throat, the brunette girl glanced back at the hallway, noticing that Malika was now gone. Although it seemed as though the young magician had forgotten something. Morgan was still standing there, staring at the empty spot, realizing her mentor had left her behind.

"Uh.." Morgan started to scratch the back of her head awkwardly as she glanced at Carly and shrugged. "Wait for me!" She exclaimed as she turned around and started to run down the hallway. Carly just chuckled as she watched the brown haired girl disappear around a corner.

_'What an outrageous pair those two make..'_ Carly laughed as she started to walk down the hallway to get to class.

* * *

After a little bit, Carly made her way into homeroom and looked around the classroom. There was no teacher in the room yet so various kids were sitting on top of their desks and chatting with each other. Some students decided to fly as many paper planes as they could before the authority figure would show up and put a stop to their fun. Carly shuffled past her classmates and sat down in her seat quietly. She brought out her math notebook and placed it on her desk, figuring she could get a few minutes of study time in. As she started to flip through the pages, a girl sat down at the desk in front of her and turned around to face her.

"Heya!" The girl exclaimed, blowing up a gum bubble and popping it loudly.

"Huh?!" Carly looked up to see who was talking to her. "Oh, hey Kristen." She greeted the girl, noticing she had a big smile on her face. Carly couldn't help but wonder why Kristen was always so hyper. She was a nice girl, but seemed way too happy and animated at times, especially during homeroom after a three day weekend. Most kids would be depressed to be back at school, but Kristen was always cheerful.

"So what are ya doin? Last minute homework?" Kristen asked with a smile.

"Nah, just studying for a test." Carly laughed. She watched as the girl leaned over the edge of her desk and glanced down at her notes.

"You're in Mrs. Wilkin's class? Ooo that's tough..." She stated sympathetically as she shook her head.

"Yeah." Carly moaned. "I know.."

"Well, don't worry! You'll most likely get a good grade." Kristen chuckled happily. "I mean, you always get the best of the class!"

"Well maybe not this time." Carly sighed. "Kind of had a rough weekend. Didn't really get much study time in."

"Oh right! Sam's surgery! The news is all over the school! She doing ok?" Kristen asked with concern.

"Yeah, she's alright. She feels a bit sick, but other than that, she's recovering." Carly nodded with a smile.

"Well that's good!" Kristen nodded. "Tell her I hope the new hip feels alright."

Carly just stared back at the girl with a blank stare. "New hip?" She asked out weakly.

"Yeah, I heard Sam had to get her hip replaced. Kind of sucks considering she's at such a young age.." Kristen sighed sadly.

_'What in the world is everyone talking about?!' _Carly moaned in her head. "No Kristen, that's not what happened!" The girl sighed as she got ready to repeat Sam's situation for the billionth time. "Sam had appendicitis and had to get an appendectomy. Her hip is fine."

"Oh, really?" Kristen asked.

"Yeah." Carly sighed, knowing that she was going to have to fix all these rumors that were going around the school about her friend. "But she's ok now. The hospital let her out on Sunday. Other than feeling a bit under the weather, she's recovering." Carly added.

"That's good." Kristen smiled. "Tell her I hope she feels better! Being sick stinks." The brown haired girl playfully spit out her tongue for emphasis.

"Yes it does." Carly laughed at the girl's enthusiasm. "And I'll tell her." She nodded.

"Thanks!" Kristen replied happily. Just then the two girls looked up as their teacher walked in.

"Everybody, get into your seats!" Mr. Smith stated as he walked over to his desk and set his briefcase down.

"Whoops! Gotta go!" Kristen exclaimed as she jumped off the chair and ran across the room over to her own seat, almost knocking down a few other students in her haste. Carly just chuckled at this.

_'No one should be that hyper in the morning.' _Carly smiled as she glanced back down at her notebook.

* * *

Ten minutes passed as the bell rang, signaling that homeroom was over. Students began shuffling out of the doorways to make their way over to first period class. Carly had to go to English, and in order to get there she had to walk by the gym. As the brunette girl walked past the open doors, a basketball came flying out and almost hit her in the face as it flew past her nose.

"Whoa!" Carly murmured as she watched the ball smack against the lockers and roll back over on the floor towards her feet. She bent down slightly and picked it up before looking back towards the gym to see who it belonged to. Carly watched as a very tall girl came out from the doors. She recognized her from science class. "Oh, Marisa! Is this yours?" Carly asked as she held up the basketball.

"Yeah.." Marisa replied bashfully as she walked over.

"Here you go." Carly smiled as she handed it to her. "It almost hit me in the head." She chuckled.

"Sorry.." Marisa replied quietly. Carly cocked an eyebrow at this but remembered how shy the girl was. As Carly was about to tell her it was alright, another girl bolted out of the gym, running up to them.

"Hey Marisa, where'd the ball.." Her question was cut off as she screeched to a halt next to Marisa and Carly. "Oh, sup Carly?" The girl smiled.

"Hey Shorty." Carly laughed. She looked back and forth between the two girls as they stood next to each other. Shorty was a short yet very athletic girl, while Marisa was tall and very shy. Even though the two were practically polar opposites, they were best friends, just like her and Sam.

"Hey, heard about Sam!" Shorty explained as she grabbed the ball from Marisa and started to spin it on her finger. "Tough break...with the food poisoning and all." The girl stated as she placed her free hand against her stomach, all the while keeping the ball spinning on her other finger.

"Food poisoning?" Carly sighed, getting ready to fix up this rumor.

"Mhm." Shorty nodded. "We heard she ate a bad batch of beef jerky. Been puking for days huh?"

"Uh not exactly.." Carly paused for a moment, noticing that the rumors were starting to get closer to the actual story. "She had appendicitis."

"Oh!" Shorty's eyebrows went up. "The thing where you need surgery?"

"Yeah, it kind of snuck up on us on Saturday." Carly nodded.

"Is she ok?" Marisa asked quietly.

"Yup, no worries." Carly smiled. "Sam had surgery and was out of the hospital by Sunday. She's still not feeling that well, but she's getting better."

"Awesome." Shorty smiled as she stopped spinning her ball. "Tell Sam we're rooting for her!" The girl laughed as she pumped a fist into the air. She then glanced over at Marisa who was staring at the floor quietly before giving her a nudge.

"Huh? Oh yeah...whoo!" She replied shyly, pumping her own fist into the air quietly. Carly just smiled at the two.

"Thanks, Sam will be happy to hear that." Carly chuckled.

"Good." Shorty smiled before turning to Marisa. "Now we have to practice on your lay-ups!" The girl exclaimed as she threw the ball over to her best friend. Shorty then glanced over at Carly and whispered into her ear. "The girl's as tall as a sky scraper and _still_ has trouble putting the ball into the basket."

"Hey!" Marisa called out, ignoring her shy tendencies. "I'm getting better." She smiled.

"We'll see." Shorty chuckled as she turned around and started to jog back towards the gym, Marisa following at her friend's heels. As the two made their way over to the doors, Shorty turned back around. "Bye Carly! And don't forget to tell Sam!" She called out.

"Don't worry, I won't!" Carly responded before the two friends disappeared back into the gym. The brunette girl just chuckled to herself as she turned around and started to walk towards her English class.

* * *

As Carly walked into her first period class, she noticed that it had the same atmosphere as homeroom. Everyone was trying to finish up last minute conversations before the teacher walked in. Carly sighed as she walked over to her desk and sat down. She wasn't really in the mood to be at school, especially when Sam was so sick at home, but at least she was able to fix up some misguided stories. As the brunette girl reached into her back pack and pulled out her English textbook, one of her classmates sat down in the seat next to her. Her name was Meredith, and she was quite the honor student. Many people called her a nerd, but she considered that a compliment because everyone always said it jokingly as she was friends with the majority of the school.

"Pst.. Carly?" The dirty blond haired girl asked quietly, having noticed Sam's absence.

"Hm?" Carly looked over to her right to see the class genius sitting next to her. "Hey Meredith." She smiled.

"Hey, I heard that Sam had appendicitis over the weekend. That true?" She asked as Carly chuckled, glad to hear that at least one person had the story right. Even though the news about Sam spread through Ridgeway like wild fire, Carly was relieved to see that the correct story was starting to go around.

"Yeah, on Saturday." Carly nodded.

"Did she go to the hospital?" Meredith asked worriedly.

"Huh? Oh yeah, of course. She had an appendectomy." Carly explained as the girl sighed in relief.

"That's good." Meredith smiled. "Because you don't want to fool around with a thing like that. When you have appendicitis, your appendix fills up with harmful bacteria and if you don't seek immediate help, it could rupture, causing all of those poisons to go into.." Carly gently cut the girl off.

"I know." She laughed. "_Believe me_ I know."

"Sorry." Meredith replied bashfully. "I just go off on these tangents.."

"It's alright." Carly smiled, knowing that the girl was enthusiastic about going into detail about everything. The blond girl loved learning in school and always wanted to share her knowledge with others. "Sam's alright though.." Carly smiled. "We caught it in time. She's currently recovering at home."

"Glad to hear that." Meredith chuckled. Just as the two girls were going to continue their conversation, a loud yell was heard from across the room.

"CARLYYYYY!"

Carly instantly snapped her head up and looked over towards the doorway to see a brown haired girl named Allie run across the room and over to her. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" She exclaimed as she jumped up and down and grabbed Carly into a hug.

"Whoa!" Carly murmured as the excited girl finally let go.

"I heard what happened! Are you guys ok?!" The girl exclaimed worriedly.

"Um..just what exactly did you hear?" Carly asked with a nervous chuckle.

"I heard that you and Sam were involved in a car accident! Oh you poor thing!" Allie replied loudly as she grabbed Carly once more into a hug.

_'Well, I see we're back to the rumors..'_ Carly sighed as the brown haired girl continued to hold her in a death hug. Carly realized a bunch of stories were going around the school and knew she had to do some damage control for Sam's sake._ 'I wonder how she and Freddie are doing though..' _Carly sighed as the energetic girl continued to hug her and blab randomly about how car accidents are so awful. _'I hope Freddie's doing better than I am..'_ The brunette girl thought, wondering what her two best friends were currently up to at home.

* * *

**Alrighty, so now you guys know what poor Carly is going through at school while her friends are at the apartment! All those rumors about Sam, yikes! But don't worry, I'll get back to Sam and Freddie in the next chapter. ;)**

**BTW-Hope you guys liked how I wrote this one! I'm sorry I couldn't use everyone as it would have gotten too repetitive, but I really hope that all the people I did choose liked their scenes! ^_^ I even added a few extra reviewer names in the beginning, so I tried to get as many people in as I could!**


	75. Freddie's Phone Fumble

**Hey guys! Just wanted to apologize in advance if anything seems choppy in this chapter! I haven't been feeling that well all day.. (Sore throat, runny nose, the works!) but I really wanted to get a chapter up! I was almost going to go to bed instead of opening up a new word document, but I managed to crank this chapter out. I also apologize in advance if I can't get a new chapter up tomorrow. This sickness may kick me out of commission. D=  
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**Anyways, as for this chapter, I was going to write out a bit more, but I'm feeling too crappy to continue so I quickly wrote in a cut off point at the end. Still, I hope you guys enjoy it! Lots of funny Sam/Freddie interaction! (Again, please forgive me if you see any mistakes in grammar like run on sentences or repetitive words, as my head is throbbing like crazy and I'm too tired to do the usual 5 proofreads before I post lol.)**

**Oh! And one last thing! I just wanted to tell you guys that I was so happy about the feedback I received from the previous chapter! I'm so relieved that everyone enjoyed their scenes! I wanted to do your personalities justice while keeping everything level with the iCarly world. So again, thanks for helping me out with that chapter! You guys really saved me the trouble of thinking up random classmate names and their personalities lol! I'm glad you enjoyed the gift! =)**

**Ok, now enough of a sick girl's ramblings! Onto the story!**

* * *

_'Well, I see we're back to the rumors..' _Carly sighed as the brown haired girl continued to hold her in a death hug. Carly realized a bunch of stories were going around the school and knew she had to do some damage control for Sam's sake._ 'I wonder how she and Freddie are doing though..' _Carly sighed as the energetic girl continued to hug her and blab randomly about how car accidents are so awful._ 'I hope Freddie's doing better than I am..'_ The brunette girl thought, wondering what her two best friends were currently up to at home.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Freddie was standing by the side of the couch as Sam continued to stay laying down on her back. She glanced up at him with a confused expression on her face as the boy had just rudely snatched the phone away from her and hung it up without any reason whatsoever.

"Um, you can't use the phone.." Freddie tried to explain, knowing that he didn't have enough money to cover another outrageous order, especially one that included 99-somethings.

"I-I can't talk on the phone?" Sam asked again.

"No...sorry..." Freddie added apologetically once more. His wallet just wouldn't allow it. With another long sigh, he looked back over at Sam. "By the way, who was that on the phone?" He asked curiously, wondering what else his friend was trying to order.

"My mom." She added in a quiet tone.

At that moment, Freddie felt his body freeze. He wasn't sure if he heard right, but when he saw Sam's saddened expression, he realized the huge mistake he had just made. "Your m-mom?" He asked out weakly. Sam just continued to stare up at the ceiling. The two kids were at a loss of words. Sam was stunned and saddened to have her mother snatched away so quickly, while Freddie was just in shock. There was a tense moment of silence as neither kid spoke a word to one another or moved. Finally Sam decided to break the silence. Freddie watched as she opened her mouth to say something, her face devoid of any sort of emotion.

"You know Freddie.." Sam stated with a dead look, avoiding any eye contact with her friend as she continued to stare up at the ceiling. "I'm all for hanging up on parents.." She slowly looked over at him as her face started to crease. Her eyebrows furrowed as her teeth clamped down tight. Freddie watched in horror as his friend seemed to transform right before his very eyes. He could tell something was bubbling to the surface of the girl, and his thoughts would soon be confirmed as she took a deep breath and opened her mouth to continue her statement."...BUT NOT WHEN I'M SICK AND MY MOM'S IN POLICE CUSTODY! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Sam screamed out as she abruptly sat up and turned to face him, putting her feet to the floor as she sat back against the couch. Freddie felt his heartbeat increase, realizing that his hasty actions had caused the girl to bypass her medication and return to her normal state of mind. _This_ was the Sam he was familiar with. She was no longer the giggly girl who had trouble differentiating hallucinations from reality, but had reverted back to her normal form of the sassy tongued, demonic, blond haired bundle of evil that was known as Sam Puckett.

Freddie felt a lump form in his throat as his chest grew tight. "I-I didn't mean...I thought, you... pizzas...and.." He held his hands up in defense as he took a step back from the girl. Sam just glared at him with the familiar look of hatred radiating from her eyes.

"FREDDIE!" She yelled out once more, cutting off her friend's random babbling. The brown haired boy just took a big nervous gulp, fearing what may happen next.

"Y-yeah?" He asked out shakily.

"You pick up that phone and get my mom back on the line..." She paused for a moment as she grit her teeth. "_Now_." She growled, her eyes glaring daggers into him.

"Yes m'am!" Freddie quickly put his hand against his forehead in a nervous salute before rushing back over to the table and picking up the phone once more. He was so nervous that his fingers hit a few random buttons by accident.

Sam just watched the boy fumble with the phone as she sighed and sat back into the couch. Her outburst had made her feel like crap, and she could feel the medication slipping back into her mind. _'No..I want to stay angry..' _Sam thought tiredly as she felt her body start to loosen up. _'I have to make Freddie pay.......I have to...stay...focused...'_ And with that last thought her head tilted down a bit as her eyes slid shut. Sam knew she could fade out at any moment, so she tried her best to stay still and quiet, struggling to keep a firm grasp on her mind. Meanwhile, the boy was still having trouble with the phone.

"Darnit!" Freddie mumbled as he realized he had no clue who or what to call. He had considered hitting redial, but since he already hit a few buttons, it wouldn't work. Of course, redial wouldn't have mattered anyway since it was Sandra who called the house, but Freddie didn't know that. All he knew was that he had to get a lead from somewhere, before Sam jumped up from the couch and bit his head off...literally. _'C'mon!'_ Freddie thought as he dialed for the operator. He snuck a nervous glance back at the sick girl and saw that she was sitting into the couch cushions with her eyes closed. _'God I hope that means the medication's working!' _He swallowed nervously as he put the phone back up to his ear. After a few moments, the operator picked up.

_**"Hello, Operator. How may I be of assistance?"**_

"Yes, I was wondering if you could get me the number to the Seattle Police Department?!" Freddie asked frantically, sneaking quick side glances every few seconds over to Sam to make sure she wasn't going to pull a sneak attack on him..or whip out a knife. To his luck, she continued to sit there lazily with her eyes closed. With a sigh if relief, Freddie figured he was in the green zone for a bit. He then turned his back towards Sam as the operator spoke up.

_**"Is this an emergency call? Shall I direct you to 911?"**_

Freddie paused for a moment as he cocked an eyebrow. "NO! Don't do that!" He added quickly.

The operator took notice of the panic in his voice and sighed. _**"Young man, if you think it is funny to be playing around with emergency phone calls, then you better stop before you get into some serious trouble."**_

"Huh? But I'm not playing around! I just want the phone number to the police station! What's so hard to understand about that?" Freddie yelled back. Unfortunately his outburst was in vain as the other end clicked off. The boy lowered the phone from his ear and stared at it in disbelief. "Has everyone gone nuts?! Why don't people listen!" He screamed out in frustration as he slammed the phone back into it's holder. Just as he was about to pick it back up and try again, Sam reached over and grabbed his arm. He looked over at her as she let go of him and put her finger to her lips, shushing him.

"Shhhhh.." She whispered angrily. Freddie cocked an eyebrow at this until he noticed that the girl was holding up her cellphone to her ear with her other hand. Sam then turned her attention back to her cell and spoke softly into it. "Yeah...mhm...yeah.."

"Uh.." Freddie scratched the back of his neck awkwardly as he stepped forward and sat down on the couch next to her. "Sam...who's on the phone?" He asked hesitantly.

"Hold on one sec." Sam stated to whoever was on the other line before clamping her hand over the mouthpiece. She then glanced over at Freddie. "It's my mom."

"Huh?" The boy asked weakly.

"She called my cell while you were fumbling around with the operator. Now shut up." Sam added in a snarly tone before she went back to her cell phone. Freddie watched as she took her hand off and resumed the call. "Yeah..." Sam sighed. "Yeah...he's an idiot...yeah...I know.."

Freddie just sat on the couch as his mouth hung open. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Everything seemed to go by so quick, and as usual, the confusion ended up with Sam calling him rude names. The boy glanced back over at her and watched as she let off a small smile.

"I know, who would do such a thing?" Sam chuckled as she rolled her eyes. Freddie just huffed as he sat into the back of the couch and crossed his arms. He put his feet on top of the small table in front of him and stared into space with disgruntled look. He just knew the Pucketts were talking about him, and from their point of view, he was a total jerk. Freddie sighed, knowing he couldn't blame them.

* * *

Eventually the phone call ended, as well as Freddie's torture. The boy watched as Sam clamped her phone shut and reached over with a wince, placing it on the small table.

"So, have fun?" Freddie asked casually as he stayed there with his arms crossed and feet propped up.

"Of course. I just _love_ having people run up to me and yank a phone out of my hand. I even enjoy it more when they hang up on my own mother." Sam stated sarcastically as she shot the boy a glare.

"Yeah.." Freddie sighed as he removed his feet off the table, and placed them on the floor as he sat up. "I'm sorry about that...really.." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly as his eyes trailed down. "I didn't know it was your mom..." Sam glanced over at him for a moment and realized how guilty he looked as he stared down at the floor. She could tell the boy was sincere about his apology.

"Fine...apology accepted." She sighed, sitting into the back of the couch, having realized that all of this excitement was becoming too tiring for her. "But what the heck possessed you to do it?" Sam asked curiously, looking over at him. Freddie looked up at her and gave her a small chuckle.

"I thought you were ordering some food. When I walked in, you were saying something about the number 99. I wanted to stop you before you placed a ridiculous order." Freddie gave a nervous laugh. "But now I see that wasn't the case." He sighed. "So what were you talking about..? I mean, when you said 99?" He asked curiously.

"I was talking about degrees." Sam sighed.

"Huh?"

"Mom asked how I was feeling, and I told her my temperature." Sam shrugged. "Last we checked, it was at 99 or so."

"Oh........." Freddie moaned, slapping his hand against his forehead. "Man I'm an idiot." He moaned, repeating Sam's earlier insult.

"Yes..." She gave a half smile. "..yes you are." The blond girl let off a small yawn before continuing to talk. "Although, what made you think I was going to order something?" She asked lazily as her eyelids slid down a little more.

"Oh, I dunno!" Freddie stated sarcastically as he sat up. "Maybe the fact that you ordered twenty pizzas right before that?" He looked over at her.

"Twenty pizzas?" Sam cocked an eyebrow. "Maybe you're the one running a fever.." She chuckled as she reached over and placed the back of her hand against his forehead.

"I am not!" Freddie exclaimed as he pushed her off gently. Although, the boy did make a quick note of how clammy his friend's hand felt. It was obvious she was still unwell.

"But then..what the heck are you talking about?" Sam sighed, closing her eyes as she rested her head against the back of the couch.

"Before your mom called, you used your cell phone to order twenty pizzas from Stan's Pizza Delivery." Freddie explained patiently, finally realizing that Sam had forgotten about that small yet costly detail.

"I did not." Sam huffed as she looked over at him.

"Yes you did." Freddie nodded his head.

"Fredwad, I _think_ I would remember ordering.." Just then her voice was cut off as the doorbell rang. A man's voice hollered from behind the door.

_**"Got some pizzas here for a Puckett, comma, Sam."**_

Freddie just glanced back at Sam with a smug look. She continued to stare at the door for a bit until she glanced over at him with an embarrassed look.

"Oh.." She responded softly as her eyes trailed down to the floor in shame for a second before she glanced back up at Freddie. "Um, you better go get that.." She gave him an awkward half smile.

* * *

**Sam just got pwned by Freddie. xD **


	76. The Ups and Downs of Pizza

**I'm feeling a lot better guys! My cold is gone, but I'm crazy tired now lol. And thanks for all your well wishes! I truly appreciated them! They made me feel so happy to know that I've got a bunch of great readers! ^_^  
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**Also, I'm a bit too tired to reply to the reviews right now, but I'll get back into the flow. Don't worry. =) Hope you like this chapter! I wrote it while I was still under the weather, so I hope there's not too many mistakes!  
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* * *

_**"Got some pizzas here for a Puckett, comma, Sam."**_

Freddie just glanced back at Sam with a smug look. She continued to stare at the door for a bit until she glanced over at him with an embarrassed expression.

"Oh.." She responded softly as her eyes trailed down to the floor in shame for a second before she glanced back up at Freddie. "Um, you better go get that.." She gave him an awkward half smile.

"Mhmmm.." Freddie agreed with her as he stood up, keeping that smug look on his face as he turned around and headed to the door. As soon as the boy's intimidating gaze was off of her, Sam let out a small moan as she sat into the back of the couch.

_'I guess I really did order all those pizzas...'_ She sighed, closing her eyes as she put her pointers against her temples and rubbed them. _'I have no clue what I'm doing....maybe this is a dream..or..I'_ Sam paused for a moment as she let out a long sigh. _'I just don't know anymore. I'm sick of this. I need to get off these painkillers.' _The girl opened her eyes back up and glanced over at Freddie who was now at the door, chatting with the pizza guy. _'..if I don't, how can I spend a day with him like this?' _She let out another depressed sigh as she shifted in her seat. _'And plus.. I have to go to the bathroom....again!' _Sam quickly realized her bladder felt like it was going to burst. _'Stupid water.'_ She thought dejectedly as she pulled herself up from the couch. Sam couldn't help but notice how much easier it was to stand up though. While it was true she still felt a bit weak and sore overall, it wasn't as nearly much a hassle as it had been previously. _'Maybe I can get off the Vicodin then..'_ Sam thought tiredly as she hobbled across the living room and towards Spencer's room.

* * *

Meanwhile, over at the door, Freddie had pulled his wallet out to get the money ready. The pizza guy stood there casually with five boxes of pizza in his arms as his name tag read the name 'Pete'. Various other boxes of pizza were piled up on the floor next to him. Pete was in his early twenties and had scraggly blond hair that was kept under control by the uniform's red hat. He stood there uninterested as the boy looked over at him cautiously.

"So...ah...how much does this come to?" Freddie asked nervously. Pete just cocked an eyebrow as he stared at him with a lifeless gaze.

"Well considering you ordered twenty pizzas.." He started to explain as Freddie gulped, waiting to be hit with the price. "The total comes to $216."

"Oh geeze.." Freddie moaned as he dug into his wallet and started counting out the bills.

"Well if you didn't want to pay that, why order the pizzas?"

"I didn't order them." Freddie sighed, as he took the five pizza boxes from the man and handing him the money. "My friend did."

"Your friend?" Pete asked curiously as he folded up the money and put it into his pocket before bending down and grabbing another five boxes to hand over to the boy.

"Yeah." Freddie replied as he set down his own armful of pizzas on the floor of the apartment before turning around to grab the next set.

"Why doesn't he pay then?" Pete asked awkwardly, handing the boxes over to Freddie.

"Uh well, _she_ did it by accident."

"Huh?" Pete cocked an eyebrow. "What girl orders twenty pizzas by accident?"

"That girl." Freddie chuckled as he turned around and pointed into the apartment towards the couch. Both of the guys looked over and saw that no one was sitting in the living room.

"Uh, there's no one there.." Pete stated slowly.

"Sam?" Freddie called out, noticing there was no sign of the girl. He became worried for a second and was about to go search for her until he realized he still had to deal with the pizza situation. Freddie then turned back around towards Pete. "Uh she must have left the room." He chuckled nervously. Pete just shook his head.

"Hey man, I just deliver the pizza. No explanations required." He added as he handed Freddie the last set of five boxes.

"Thanks." Freddie replied gratefully as he was given his last load of pizza.

"Enjoy your uh..pizza." Pete tipped his hat while Freddie nodded in appreciation. And with that the delivery guy turned around and started to walk down the hallway. Freddie placed the pizza boxes on the huge stack before closing the door. With a small sigh, he turned back around and glanced at the living room. Frothy was now sitting over on the couch by the left armrest, but Sam was nowhere to be seen.

"Sam?" Freddie asked as he walked over to the couch with one pizza box in his hand. He set it down on the small table before looking around the room.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sam had finished up in the bathroom and was washing her hands once more. She gazed lifelessly into the mirror at the reflection of herself. As she stared at herself for a moment, she realized everything was starting to get hazy and lightheaded feeling. Sam let out a long sigh, knowing it was the familiar sensation of her painkillers. _'Man..I think my incision is feeling better, but I'm still going to feel like junk on these painkillers.' _Sam moaned as she turned off the faucet and used a small dark blue hand towel to dry off. Just as she finished up, a small holler made her jump.

_"SAM!" _Freddie's voice permeated the door from the living room. After recollecting herself from the shock, Sam cracked the door open.

"I'M IN THE BATHROOM FREDWEIRD!" She yelled out, angry that he scared her. After a few moments she heard a pathetic "oh.." come from far away. Sam just rolled her eyes as she looked back in the mirror. As she stared back at herself she couldn't help but realize her image was not foggy anymore. The blond girl cocked an eyebrow, wondering if yelling at Freddie had to do anything with her feeling normal. With a small shrug, she clicked off the light and walked out of Spencer's bathroom.

* * *

Freddie was sitting on the right side of the couch waiting for his friend when she came back through the hallway. He looked over the back of the couch and watched as she made her way over. He noticed that although she still walked with a limp, it wasn't as dramatic as it had been the past few days. The boy gave her a smile as she walked over and sat back down in the middle of the couch, right next to him.

"So.." Freddie chuckled as he bent forward towards the table and flipped open the top of the pizza box. "Hungry?" He gave a small smile as Sam leaned over and looked in. At first Freddie wasn't too sure if it was a good idea for her to eat pizza, but then remembered reading about some details for a patient's eating habits after an appendectomy. The sites basically said a person recovering from it can return back to their normal foods, and that it wouldn't harm their wound. It was recommended that they stay on soft food in the beginning, but there'd be no problem if the patient wanted to eat regularly. Of course, Freddie figured Sam would most likely be too nauseated to eat the pizza anyway, so he decided there'd be no penalty in asking, just for the sake of being polite. "Want a slice?"

Sam paused for a moment as she glanced at the circular pie in the box, considering Freddie's offer. At first she thought her stomach would roll over in disgust, but to her surprise, it didn't. "Uh sure.." She stated awkwardly as Freddie glanced over at her in shock.

"Really?"

"Yeah." Sam shrugged.

Freddie stared at her for a moment before looking back into the box. "Um, ok then." He reached in and slowly pulled off a slice before looking back up at her. He truly didn't expect her to say yes, and now wasn't sure if she should eat some. Sam noticed his hesitation and cocked an eyebrow.

"Am I _allowed_ to have any?" She asked, the tone in her voice obviously reflecting how irked she was by his reluctance to give her a piece.

"Of course." Freddie replied as the corners of his mouth lifted up into a small smile. "It _is_ what you ordered." He gave a small chuckle as he handed the slice over to her.

"That's right." She huffed, bringing the slice up to her mouth. "My pizza." She gave a small chuckle as she bit down into it. Freddie just rolled his eyes in humor and reached back down into the box to grab himself a slice.

"Hey.." Sam's muffled voice called out as she noticed the boy was getting a piece to eat.

"Huh?

"_My_ pizza."

"My money!" He cried out in retaliation.

Sam's eyes slit at this as she stared at him for a moment. "Touche." She gave in as she bit down on her slice once more.

Freddie just laughed as he sat back into the couch cushions and bit into his own slice. He was glad to see that Sam was acting more normal. Plus, he was also pleased that he was able to win a few arguments with the girl. It was rare, and even though she was in a weakened state, he couldn't help but enjoy the moment, especially since it seemed his friend was getting better.

"So.." Sam's muffled voice started to say until she paused and swallowed. "Where's Carly?" She hadn't seen the girl all morning ever since she went crazy trying to get things set before going to school. The last time Sam could remember seeing her best friend was when Carly ran upstairs to find her books. "Did she find her notebook yet?" Sam chuckled as she looked over at Freddie, although her smile started to fade when he wasn't humored by her question.

"Huh?" Freddie sat back up and looked over at her curiously. "Carly left like thirty minutes ago."

"What?" Sam asked as she looked over at him. Freddie noticed that she was caught off guard by this news. "She left for school?"

"Yeah." Freddie replied softly as he watched Sam look down at the ground in thought. It was obvious she had no recollection of that.

_'Darn it. I didn't know Carly left. I hate not remembering anything!' _She let off a depressed sigh.

"It's alright.." Freddie stated softly as he put his hand on her shoulder. Sam looked up at him. "She'll be home in a few hours."

"I know." Sam sighed, as she broke eye contact with the boy and stared straight ahead lifelessly. She noticed a few items on the table, including a bowl of water, a package of saltine crackers, and a bottle of ginger ale; all the things her friend had set up for her before leaving. Sam didn't realize how depressed she was about this news until she saw all of the stuff Carly tried to feed her earlier in the morning.

"Hey, you ok?" Freddie asked softly, taking note of her saddened expression.

"Yeah.." Sam sighed. "I just wanted to wish her good luck on the test." She added quietly, realizing it was very possible that her friend could fail it because of her.

"Is that what you're upset about?" Freddie gave off a small chuckle as she glared back at him for laughing at her. "Sorry." He held up a fist to his mouth as he cleared his throat. "I was just laughing because you _did _wish her luck on the test."

"What?"

"Yeah, you were a bit spacey earlier. You wished her luck on the test before she left. And then you ordered twenty pizzas. And now.." Freddie glanced over towards the tower of pizza boxes placed by the door. "...here we are."

"Oh.." Sam replied awkwardly. "Sounds like a crazy morning." She gave the boy a half hearted smile.

"Yeah, I'll say." Freddie laughed as he bit into his slice of pizza once more, realizing that both Sam and Carly had gone psycho today. Carly went crazy in a more erratic mood, while Sam, well, she just went crazy by being nice and kind. Freddie still couldn't get over the fact that she may have called him handsome. The kids' thoughts were broken off though when they heard the elevator ding. They both turned their heads over to see Spencer step out.

"Hey Spence." Freddie greeted the man with a smile.

"Hey Freddo." Spencer replied back as he walked over to the counter and set his keys down on it.

"What's up handsome?" Sam asked, glad to see he was home.

"Not much. What's up chuckles?" Spencer smiled as he walked over into the living room and stood by the side of the couch.

"Chuckles?" Sam asked awkwardly as she looked over at Freddie for an explanation.

"Uh, you get really giggly when you're on the Vicodin sometimes." He explained as Sam moaned.

_'What in the world do I say to these guys when I'm out?!'_ She thought angrily with herself.

"So.." Spencer started to say. "How are you feeli..." His question was cut off when he finally took into account that the two kids were each eating a slice of pizza. "Is that pizza?" He asked flatly.

"Mhm." Freddie gulped a bite down.

"Ooo, can I have some?" Spencer asked excitedly, not wanting to be left out. Freddie couldn't help but chuckle at this. Spencer _would be_ the only adult who could walk into his house to find two kids eating pizza at eight in the morning to be a normal thing.

"Sure, go nuts." Freddie smiled as he pushed the box towards the man. Spencer bent down and grabbed a slice before walking over to the chair at the left side of the couch. He sat down and started to munch on his slice. As he glanced back over at the kids, he watched as Sam took another bite. It seemed she was enjoying it just as much as Freddie, and Spencer was glad to see that. "So what's on this?" He asked curiously as he chewed on his pizza.

"Pineapple." Freddie answered.

"Is that what that is?" Sam looked at her slice curiously, not having felt bothered enough to ask before.

"Yup." Freddie nodded.

"Weird."

"Well you ordered it!" Freddie laughed.

"Huh?" Spencer asked over from his position in the chair.

"Sam ordered twenty pizzas after you left." Freddie sat up and pointed over towards the door. Spencer's eyes trailed over to see where he was pointing and he was in shock when he saw the huge stack of boxes.

"Holy pizza!" Spencer exclaimed before turning back towards Sam. "Twenty?!"

"I know, I know." Sam sighed. "I'm a moron.."

"No, it's just..." Spencer trailed off for a moment before starting to chuckle. "That's a bit funny." He smiled at her.

"I guess." Sam gave him a small smile before she bit into her pizza once more, glad to see he was humored by her idiotic actions. As the blond girl swallowed her previous bite, she noticed was starting to get to the crust and was debating whether or not to go for a second slice.

"So.." Freddie started to say over to Spencer. "Carly get to school on time?"

"Mhm." Spencer smiled at him as he took a bite. "But man, was she a little spaz this morning!"

"Yeah." Freddie chuckled in agreement.

"Carly always gets freaked out about school stuff." Spencer shook his head in humor. "Like this one time.."

As the man continued on with his story, Sam sat quietly and continued to eat up her slice. She took one last bite of her pizza and chewed it for a moment before pausing, instantly regretting the action. She was about to swallow her mouthful when her illness hit her like a ton of bricks. Whatever was making her feel better seemed to have instantly vanished, giving the pizza a horrible flavor. Sam wasn't sure if it was the gooey cheese or the clumps of sauce laced with pineapple chunks, but either way, something wasn't sitting right with her. She glanced over at Spencer and Freddie and noticed that they were too deeply engrossed into their conversation to pay any attention to her. With a small inaudible sigh, Sam looked back over at the table and placed the crust of her pizza back down in the box. She then reached up one hand to her mouth and and gently pulled the gooey chewed up pizza blob out. She placed that onto the table, feeling too sick to do anything about it. Sam sighed again, wondering what the heck was making her feel this ill out of nowhere.

And she couldn't help but notice that this kind of nausea wasn't the same as her usual though. Sam saw that she had a bit more control over it. Her stomach was allowing her to sit and think about what she wanted to do without ruining the carpet. She realized that even though she felt sick to her stomach, she had two choices how to go about the situation. One, she could lie down and try to fight against it, or two, she could just force herself over the edge.

_'Bleh..I'm so sick of puking but..' _She put a hand over her stomach and sighed. _'I'm not feeling right..at all..' _Sam was hesitant to make a decision, but finally came to the conclusion of getting the pizza out. Unfortunately, once she decided that she was going to allow herself to puke, her stomach rolled over as the floodgates started to creak open, almost as if her stomach heard her decision and decided to go along with it. Taking a small but deep breath, she glanced over towards the hallway and thought about getting up and making a trip to the bathroom. As she pondered this, the guys continued to talk.

"Mm.." Freddie chomped into his slice of pizza. As he pulled away from the slice, a string of cheese stayed connected to his mouth until he ripped it off with his finger and slurped it up. "This stuff is good." He smiled.

"Mhm!" Spencer muffled in agreement, enjoying his own slice. "Who knew pineapples could make such a good topping?" He chuckled as a drip of grease slipped off his own slice and fell onto his lap. "Aw! My good pants!" He moaned as Freddie laughed.

Meanwhile, Sam had glanced back and forth between the two guys and after watching them eat, her nausea had been pushed completely over the edge. Her stomach muscles tightened as she quickly looked away from Freddie and Spencer and noticed the garbage can on the floor to her right. _'Thank god.' _She murmured in her head, reaching over for it, knowing time was of importance.

"Hey Sam." Spencer gulped down his mouthful as he glanced over at the girl. "How you enjoying your.." His question was cut off as he saw her pick up the garbage can and instantly lean her head in. Within a split second the sounds of retching could be heard from within the receptacle.

"Whoa!" Freddie exclaimed as he looked over and finally noticed Sam was starting to get sick right next to him.

"Alright, it's ok.." Spencer replied softly as he quickly got up from his seat and walked over to the side of the couch. Making his way past Frothy, Spencer sat down next to the girl's right side. Freddie scooted over towards Sam's left and gently pulled her hair back. Once the boy had Sam's hair up in a pony tail, Spencer reached his arm out and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Easy now.." He stated softly as she continued to puke in small amounts, slowly emptying her stomach.

During this time, Sam kept her eyes closed as she continued to cough and gag into the garbage can. She could tell that Spencer and Freddie were sitting next to her and talking to her, but was too ill to really focus on it. Although she was able to make a small note that Freddie was holding up her hair while Spencer was patting her back comfortingly. If she wasn't in the middle of vomiting her guts out, she would have muffled out a thanks. Still, Sam knew she was in no position to talk as she kept her head down. Her stomach continued to spasm as she coughed up little amounts of the pizza. She just wished she could get it all over with, but her body wouldn't allow it.

Meanwhile, as Freddie kept his friend's hair up, he glanced over at Spencer. The two shared a sympathetic look. It was apparent that Sam's stomach wasn't up to the task of digesting this sort of food yet. Freddie then looked back down as she let off a cough and a small moan.

_'Sorry..'_ He thought in his head, feeling extremely guilty for letting her have a slice. The guys waited patiently as Sam continued to puke into the garbage can. Spencer saw the girl was starting to sweat from the exhaustion of gagging, and he noticed there was a bowl of water on the table with a small towel draped over the side. With his free hand, he reached over and grabbed the towel. After folding the small cloth over on his knee, Spencer picked it back up and held it towards Sam's forehead.

"Easy now.." He repeated once more as Sam let off another tired moan. "We gotcha." He stated softly, dabbing the towel along her forehead to alleviate the sweat.

Sam couldn't help but let off a small sigh of relief as she felt the cool sensation on her skin. Despite the fact that she was in the middle of puking, she actually felt comfortable. Spencer and Freddie were doing an amazing job of supporting her. Still, as much as her friends were helping, she couldn't completely blow off the sick feeling, especially since she felt the big one come up.

"Urp.." Sam moaned as her body jolted. The guys winced as they heard a sickening splat come from within the can. After a few moments, Sam finally lifted her head up, having realized she just finished the finale.

"You alright there kiddo?" Spencer asked softly as Freddie let go of the girl's hair. Sam just stared into space for a moment, trying to recollect herself. Everything was foggy and hazy, and she realized she had been thrust back into her ill funk.

"Spencer.." She croaked out, looking up at him with red rimmed eyes.

"Yeah?" He asked quietly.

"I need to...get off these pills..."

* * *

**Sam's starting to get _really_ fed up with her pills..... What's Spencer going to do about it?**


	77. Compromise

"You alright there kiddo?" Spencer asked softly as Freddie let go of the girl's hair. Sam just stared into space for a moment, trying to recollect herself. Everything was foggy and hazy, and she realized she had been thrust back into her ill funk.

"Spencer.." She croaked out, looking up at him with red rimmed eyes.

"Yeah?" He asked quietly.

"I need to...get off these pills..."

Spencer looked over at her for a moment and saw that this was a subtle cry for help, and it worried him as Sam Puckett never cried for help. Spencer looked down at the ground and thought for a moment. He knew this girl was relying on him to make the right choice, and he really didn't want to mess things up.

Freddie just stayed quiet as he looked at the two. He saw that Spencer was deep in thought while Sam just stared down at the floor in a defeated gaze. There was a tense moment of silence before Spencer finally took in a deep breath.

"Alright, Sam?" He asked as the girl looked up at him weakly.

"Yeah?"

"Now, you're supposed to stay on these painkillers as long as you're still in pain.." He started to say as Sam cut him off.

"I know but I..I feel better..sort of, and I think the only thing making me sick are the painkillers. What do I do?" She asked out weakly, her voice holding a desperate tone that Freddie had never heard before. The boy looked on with worry.

"Well..I've given your situation some thought.." Spencer stated sympathetically, wrapping his arm back around the girl's shoulder and giving her a light squeeze of comfort. Sam was grateful that he was patient with her, as well as Freddie who remained quiet next to her left side. "...and I've decided on working out a compromise."

"Compromise?" Sam asked weakly, looking up at him.

"Mhm." Spencer replied, looking down and giving her a small smile. "Tell me whatcha think about this.." He started to say as Sam stayed quiet. "...since you took the Vicodin at 8, why don't you relax until 12, when it's time for your next dose."

"But then what about.." Sam started to say before Spencer shook his head.

"Let me finish, silly." He chuckled as he ruffled her hair lightly with his free hand. "Now, as I was saying, when 12 comes around, how about we try and hold off on the pills." As soon as Spencer said this, Freddie perked up.

"Wait, so you want her to skip the next dose?" Freddie didn't like the sound of that, especially considering what happened last time.

"No, not exactly." Spencer shook his head. "Not skip...just delay."

"Delay?" Sam asked quietly.

"Yeah." Spencer replied as he looked at her. "Since you're on the painkillers right now, we're not sure how much pain you'll actually feel when you come off them. So, if we delay the next dose, we can see how much your body can handle. If it gets too bad, we'll put you back on the pills."

"Oh..I get it." Freddie replied. "So we're basically going to let her system drain out the painkillers and see if she doesn't need them anymore?"

"Yup." Spencer smiled over at him.

"I like that.." Sam replied quietly, looking to the floor. She liked any plan that involved her getting off the meds.

"But!" Spencer exclaimed, putting his finger under her chin and turning her head back towards him so she would look him in the eyes. "This is where_ your _part of the compromise comes in."

"My part?" Sam cocked an eyebrow, wondering what he meant.

"Yeah, you see, I don't want you doing any of that sneaky stuff." He gave off a small chuckle. "If you feel like you can't handle the pain, then you tell me or Freddie _right away_. Don't drag it out until it gets too harsh. You don't want to go through what happened last time, right?"

"Of course not." Sam replied guiltily.

"Then you have to keep the line of communication open between us. If anything hurts, you tell us. No if ands or.." Before Spencer could finish, Sam cut him off.

"But..."

"Or buts." Spencer chuckled.

"No, I mean, I got it, I won't try to hide anything, but, what if the pain does become too bad?" Sam paused for a moment, disliking the possibility of that happening. "Do I have to be put back on the Vicodin?"

Spencer furrowed his brow in thought for a moment. "If that's the case...I'll figure out something, alright? But as for now, you have roughly three hours before the pill wears off, so just sit and try to relax, ok?"

Sam let out a depressed sigh, hating the fact that she was still in the midst of the last Vicodin dosage. "Ok.." She replied quietly.

"Alright.." Spencer gave the girl a light pat on her shoulder before standing back up. "Now let me just get this out of your way..." He stated as he reached over the garbage can and pulled up the bag.

"Sorry.." Sam stated softly.

"Hm? For what?" Spencer looked over at her as he tied the edges of the bag together.

"I keep going through your garbage bags and wasting them.."

"Pft, no worries." He gave her a small chuckle. "Believe me, this is nothing. You should have seen the time I became infatuated with using garbage bags in my sculptures. Carly was starting to get really mad when she couldn't find any around the house to use."

"Really?" Sam asked with a small smile, always humored by Spencer and Carly's little fights.

"Oh yeah!" Spencer exclaimed as he stood up with the garbage bag. "Carly got so mad, that when our kitchen garbage can started to overflow, she actually just started to toss garbage onto the floor."

"Seriously?" Freddie cut in, trying to picture that.

"Yup." Spencer nodded.

"But Carly's a total neat freak! She would never do that." Sam added.

"Never say never." Spencer laughed. "She did it to make a point, which I finally got...painfully." The man winced as he rubbed his backside in remembrance.

"Painfully?" Freddie asked as he glanced over at Sam. The two kids shared an awkward look before looking back over at Spencer.

"Yeah...Carly was sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast, and when she was done with her banana, she just tossed the peel over her shoulder."

"And let me guess.." Sam cut in. "..you slipped on it and fell?" She and Freddie chuckled.

"No!" Spencer exclaimed as the kids hushed up. "I bent down to pick it up, and as I was bending over, Carly jumped off her seat and started whacking me with her book bag! She yelled at me to stop using up all the garbage bags as sculpture pieces and that if I didn't, she was going to start jumping me at random moments, hitting me with whatever was in reach." Spencer scratched the back of his head nervously. Freddie and Sam just stayed quiet until they started laughing.

"That's too funny." Freddie shook his head.

"Man, why am I never around when Carls freaks out?" Sam chuckled, quite pleased to hear that her best friend had an angry side.

"Well, I couldn't really blame her for attacking me." Spencer laughed bashfully. "The apartment _was_ starting to look like a pig sty." He shrugged. "But anyways, the message of the story is that you don't.."

"..mess with Carly's garbage bags?" Sam smiled.

"No...well yes. "Spencer chuckled. "But other than that, you don't have to worry about going through a few of them if you're sick. Anything you use up would pale in comparison to what I used. Plus, we've got tons more, so I don't think Carly will attack you for it."

"That's good." Sam nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, Carly may be small, but she packs a wallop!" Spencer laughed as he walked across the living room and over to the door. "Now I'll be right back. Freddie, you can go and grab another bag out from under the sink."

"Sure." The boy replied as he stood up. And with that, the two guys walked in opposite directions to finish their tasks. Sam sat quietly on the couch and closed her eyes as she relaxed her head into the back cushions. Her body was still in a gross funk, but Spencer and Freddie had managed to keep her mind out of it. She knew she was teetering on the edge of the zombie phase, but her friend's stories had kept her spirits up. She was truly grateful to them for that. The girl let out a small satisfied sigh, and opened her eyes up when she heard a rustle near her. Sam looked up to see Freddie placing a new garbage bag into the can.

"Hey.." Sam stated slowly as he looked up at her.

"Yeah?"

"Um...just wanted to apologize for yacking up the pizza."

"Huh? Oh, that's no problem. I don't mind if you have to puke." Freddie gave her a smile.

"No, not that, I mean, sorry for making you pay for those pizzas and not even being able to keep a slice down."

"Yeah." Freddie let off a humored chuckle as he finished setting the garbage bag into the can. "That _was_ a pretty big dent in my wallet." He smiled as he walked back over to the couch and sat down next to Sam's left.

"You know.." Sam spoke quietly, looking down at the floor. "I'm not paying you back for that.."

Freddie couldn't help but start laughing. "Oh believe me, I know!" He shook his head in humor.

"Good." The girl huffed, lifting her head back up and sighing. While she was putting on a rude act for the boy, she did feel a bit guilty. She wanted to pay him back, but realized she didn't have the money to. _'Eh, I'll make it up to him somehow..' _Sam thought for a moment as she sighed. _'Man, I've got a lot of stuff to make up to my friends...maybe I should get a job..' _She then paused for a moment, thinking back about the horrendous Chili My Bowl incident. _'What the heck am I thinking?!'_

"Hey, Sam?" Freddie leaned forward in his seat as he glanced over at her. The girl had her eyes closed and her face was twisted up in a painful expression.

"Yeah?" She asked, opening her eyes, as she was broken out of her thoughts.

"You ok? You look like you're going to be sick...are you?" He asked cautiously.

"Sorry." Sam moaned, shaking her head. "Just thinking about junk. Nothing to worry about."

"Oh...ok then." Freddie smiled at her. Just then the door opened up as Spencer came back in.

"Alright, now that that's taken care of..." He smiled as he walked in the doorway. Unfortunately as he walked in, the tip of his foot caught the edge of the pizza box stack. "WHOA!" Spencer cried out as he tripped over his feet and fell to his knees on the floor. The man quickly looked up at the pizza box stack, noticing that the top box had been pushed slightly over the edge and was teetering a bit. "AH, LEANING TOWER OF PIZZA!" Spencer exclaimed, shielding himself as he put his arms over his head. The box finally slid off the edge and fell onto his head. The cardboard made a loud thud as it hit him before sliding to the floor. Luckily for Spencer it didn't open, and the contents were safe.

"Are you ok?!" Freddie asked as he got up and made his way over to the fallen man.

"Owww..." Spencer moaned, rubbing his sore head. As Freddie helped him back up for the second time today, Sam couldn't help but start chuckling to herself quietly on the couch.

_'Spencer, you're such a doof.'_ She laughed. As her humor started to fade out, she took in a deep breath to calm herself. _'That was funny..but I'm really tired.'_ She thought, glancing back over at the pizza boxes as Freddie and Spencer started fixing them back up. Sam stared at them for a moment, until she realized the whole apartment sort of had a pizza-like aroma to it. While she was nowhere near the nausea she had been experiencing minutes before, the smell still added a bit of discomfort to her stomach.

"Spencer?" Sam called out from her position on the couch.

"Huh? Yeah?" He asked, having finished up with the pizza boxes.

"I really don't mean to be a nuisance.." Sam paused for a moment, rethinking her words. "Ok, I wanna be a nuisance. Can you move those boxes out of the room? I don't like the smell." She added quickly, giving up her act of trying to be polite as it just wasn't her style.

"Hm? Yeah sure, that's no problem kiddo." Spencer smiled at her, giving her a thumbs up. He then turned back over to Freddie. "Think you can help me carry these to the iCarly studio?" He figured that the smell wouldn't bother Sam if it was on another floor.

"Yeah, I can carry some." Freddie smiled. The two guys then loaded up on the pizza boxes and slowly made their way across the living room. Sam clamped a hand over her nose and mouth to avoid getting sicker as they passed. She watched as Spencer lifted his foot up and gave the elevator button a small tap. After waiting a few moments, the elevator let out a ding as the door slid up.

"We'll be right back!" Spencer smiled as he and Freddie stepped in. Sam gave an appreciative nod as the door slid close. Now she was alone, and had some time to think to herself.

_'Alright..' _She sighed, closing her eyes. _'I've got a few hours to deal with this funk. Hopefully when the painkillers wear off, I won't need to take any more..' _Sam let out a small sigh as she continued to think. _'But man, it'll suck if I do have to take them again..'_ The blond girl thought tiredly. _'Still...Spencer said he would take care of it if the situation comes to that and...I trust he will.'_


	78. Humiliation

Sam sighed as she sat on the couch and waited for the guys to come back. She noticed her cell phone was on the table and bent over with a small wince to pick it up. Sam flipped it open and looked at the screen. Suddenly she recalled a very vague memory of Carly telling her she could text her, but she wasn't sure if it was just a dream or a messed up thought. Either way, Sam opened up a new text message and typed out a simple greeting to her best friend.

**Hi**

As she hit the sent button, she heard the guys coming back down the stairs Sam shoved the cell phone into the pocket of her pajamas pants and looked over as she saw her friends appear. Spencer led the way down the steps as Freddie followed behind. They both shuffled back into the living room as Freddie sat back down in his seat on the couch, next to Sam's left.

"The pizza situation has been averted!" Spencer exclaimed happily as he put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest.

"Thanks." Sam croaked out a small smile. She was feeling extremely tired and was pretty much ready for a nap. Spencer noticed this and gave her a small pat on the head.

"Now why don't you guys just sit and chill. Also, Sam?" He asked as the girl looked up at him.

"Mhm?"

"You can go to sleep if you want, but I'm going to have to wake you up at 12, alright? Unfortunately I can't let you sleep through the next dosage. You need to be awake so we see what happens, ok?"

"Ok." Sam nodded her head, fully understanding. When she skipped the pills herself, she made the mistake of falling asleep afterward so when she woke up, it was too late to do anything about the problem as her incision was in the middle of excruciating pain.

"So, does this mean I have your permission to wake you up when the time comes?" Spencer double checked.

"Yeah sure, I don't care." Sam confirmed for him.

"Alrighty." He smiled down at her before looking back at Freddie. "You kids play nice now."

"We'll try!" Freddie laughed as Sam let off a small chuckle.

"Ok, well I'm just going to go into my room and brainstorm a few sculpture ideas! Holler if you need me!"

"Will do." Sam replied quietly. And with that the two kids watched as Spencer left.

"So.." Freddie looked back over at his friend, noticing she looked extremely tired. "You want anything or..?"

"Nah." Sam sighed with a yawn. "Just watch TV."

"Ok, that's fine." Freddie smiled. He then looked over at the table and reached over for the small remote. He picked it up and clicked the TV on. "What channel do you..?" He started to ask until Sam cut him off.

"Just keep flipping. I'll tell you when to stop."

"Ok." Freddie replied as he started from channel 2. When he paused on it, he glanced back over at Sam.

"No."

_-click-_

"No."

_-click-_

"No."

_-click-_

"Ew."

_-click-_

"No."

_-click-_

"No."

_-click-_

"Wait, go back two."

_-click-click-_

"Nevermind. Resume."

_-click-_

"Ugh!" Sam moaned in irritation. "Forget this, let's just go to the guide."

"Fine with me!" Freddie replied, cracking the knuckle of his clicking finger. He then switched the TV over to the familiar channel they have grown so accustomed to over the past few days. Awkward music filled the living room as the kids scanned the various titles scrolling upwards. Their faces deflated as they realized nothing was on. With a small sigh, Freddie glanced over at his friend. "News?"

"News." She confirmed. She watched as the boy flipped over to a news channel, and the two of the sat in silence, staring at the screen. Sam continued to watch for three minutes until she felt her head tilt down forward lifelessly. She tried to pull it back up but realized she had no strength, especially when she slumped over towards her right and her cheek landed on a pillow. With a small sigh, she closed her eyes and shuffled herself around until she was laying on her back. During this, Freddie glanced over and noticed that Sam had laid down, especially since she just settled her feet over his lap once more. Deciding not to make a noise, the boy glanced back over at the TV and allowed his friend to fall asleep. And from then on, everything went black for the girl.

* * *

An hour had passed as the kids continued to sit in the living room. Spencer walked out of his bedroom and made his way over towards the kitchen counter where the laundry basket was. He plucked out a clean dark green towel and draped it over his arm before turning around.

"Hey guys.." He started to say as he walked over to the side of the couch and stopped. His statement was instantly cut off as he realized how Sam and Freddie were positioned. Sam was laying down on her back on the left side of the couch, while her legs were resting over Freddie's lap. Spencer knew Sam was going to fade out earlier, but he couldn't but smile when he looked over at Freddie. The boy was sitting upright, his hands resting over top of Sam's legs, as his head tilted back over the top of the couch. His eyes were shut tight as it became obvious he had fallen asleep as well. The two were snoring together, obviously beat.

"What was in that pizza?" Spencer chuckled to himself as he walked across the room quietly and disappeared back into the hallway, not wanting to disturb the kids.

Meanwhile, Sam let off a quiet mumble and opened her eyes. At first glance, everything seemed hazy and foggy, and she wasn't sure what was up. But then the blond girl quickly remembered that she was still on drugs and that she couldn't sit up right away, lest she puke.

_'So annoying..'_ Sam thought tiredly, as she continued to lay down on the couch for a few minutes and wait for the dizziness to subside. _'But at least I'm getting better at this whole waking up thing.' _She mentally gave herself a pat on the back as she felt the horrible sensations start to drain out. With a small grunt, she managed to pull herself up into a sitting position. She quickly took note of Freddie's state, especially considering he was snoring loudly.

"Pft, and you say I snore Fredwardo." Sam laughed as she shuffled her feet off his lap and onto the floor. Just then a horrible sensation gurgled in her stomach. "Oh, ow!" She moaned, putting her hand against her abdomen. She sat there a while, waiting for it to calm down. "Geeze.." Sam sighed, knowing what was up. "First all the puking, now this? Guess I didn't vomit _everything _back up." She sighed tiredly, pulling herself up as she knew she had to get to a bathroom. _'Luckily Freddie's asleep.' _Sam made a small mental note as she started to limp towards the elevator. _'..or else this would be embarra..' _Her thought was cut off as Spencer came trotting back into the room.

"Hey there sleeping beauty!" He chuckled as he made his way over to her, not expecting her to be up. Sam just swallowed a nervous gulp.

_'Crap!'_ She thought, slowly turning around to face him. "H-Hi." She stuttered out, as the awful sensations in her stomach became worse. She knew she had no time to chat.

"So, where you going?" Spencer asked, delightfully oblivious to the situation.

"Um.." Sam paused for a moment. "Bathroom." She offered with a weak smile.

"Well you don't have to drag yourself all the way upstairs." Spencer laughed. "You can use mine."

"Uh.." Sam started to say until he cut her off.

"Oh, but don't worry about the shower! It's running because I'm going to go wash up in there in a few minutes. You can pop in and use it before I take my shower." He added with a smile, making the situation drastically worse for the girl.

"Uh, it's ok. I'll just go upstairs." Sam gulped, feeling her palms start to sweat. _'I have to get out of here!'_

"No no, I insist!" Spencer smiled. "Why make a trip all the way upstairs when you have the convenience of a restroom right here! I'll just wait in the kitchen until you're done!" He chirped happily.

Sam sighed, knowing he was talking about a _quick _trip to the restroom. "I-It's not like that.." She replied quietly, feeling her cheeks start to go red.

"Huh?" Spencer asked curiously, realizing she was getting flustered. "Wait, are you sick again? Do you need the garbage can?" He asked cautiously.

"No!" She quickly replied, slapping her hand to her forehead in embarrassment. "I just have to go to the bathroom, and I won't be out for a bit, ok? Please just let me go upstairs!" Sam spoke quickly, her face turning red. Spencer stared at her for a moment until his eyes widened.

"Oooooh." He murmured, finally realizing what was up. "Yeah sure, no problem." He gave her a small smile.

_'Thank god..'_ Sam moaned in her head as she pressed the elevator button. She was glad he finally got the message and backed off. The elevator came whirring down and the door slid up. Sam stepped in and turned around, thankful that the whole embarrassing situation was over, or so she thought.

"Um, you want a magazine or something?" Spencer called out to her.

"UGH!" She moaned in humiliation as she buried her reddened face into her hands.

"Sorry!" Spencer apologized bashfully as the door slid close. Now that Sam was gone from the room, he scratched the back of his head nervously _'Whoops..smooth Spence, smooth..' _He berated himself for making Sam feel embarrassed about her situation when he honestly didn't mind she had to go to the bathroom. With a sigh, he then trotted back over to the hallway to take his shower.

* * *

Ten minutes had passed as Sam walked out of the bathroom in Carly's room.

"Well that was completely unsuccessful." She sighed, obviously depressed. She knew her body wasn't working properly for the most part, but she _really_ wished the malfunctions hadn't extended to _everything_.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Ridgeway, Carly was sitting at her desk in study hall. During this time, kids were allowed to talk as long as they kept it at a low volume. Most of her classmates were chatting with each other, some were studying, and a few others were playing with various electronic devices. Carly checked her cell phone and realized she had a text message from Sam. She opened it up and chuckled.

**Hi**

Carly smiled, glad to see her friend was up, or at least she hoped it was Sam. She quickly realized it could have been Freddie or Spencer for whatever reason. After clicking a few buttons, she sent back a response and placed her cell phone back down on her notebook.

* * *

Back at the apartment, Sam had walked over and sat down on Carly's bed to relax. Her stomach was in a lot of pain and she needed to sit still for a second.

"This sucks.." The girl moaned as she put a hand over her abdomen. Just then something rustling against her leg made her jump in surprise. "Oh!" Sam exclaimed as she pulled out her cell phone from her pajama pocket. She opened it up and noticed she had a new text message from Carly. She pressed a button and clicked it open.

**Hey, Sam...that u?  
**

The blond girl realized her friend wasn't sure if it was her or one of the guys who sent the text earlier, so she responded with a confirmation.

* * *

Carly sat quietly until her phone started to vibrate. She picked it up and opened it.

**Yup. its me.**

She was relieved to see that her friend felt well enough to text her. Still, she couldn't help but wonder how Sam was doing, so she sent another text.

* * *

Sam was still sitting on the bed when her cell rang out it's familiar hum. She flipped open the top and read Carly's new message.

**So, how r u feeling?**

Sam paused and thought for a moment. After a few seconds, she looked back down at her cellphone and started clicking buttons.

* * *

Carly waited patiently at her desk until her cell started to hum and shake on her notebook again. She picked it up and flipped it open to read Sam's new text.

**Constipated**

"Oh!" Carly murmured quietly, a bit humored by her friend's direct honesty.

* * *

Sam chuckled as she closed her phone, waiting for her friend's next text. Normally she wouldn't have been so blunt about her awkward problem, but it was just too much fun to catch her best friend off guard. She wondered what Carly's response would be to her last message. After waiting a few moments, the reply came. With a smile, Sam flipped open her phone.

**Oh my! try prunes?**

Sam laughed as she texted a response.

* * *

As her phone received yet another message, Carly flipped it open.

**Im not 60! yuck! grosss!!!!**

"Sam.." Carly just rolled her eyes and smiled.

* * *

_'Hmm..'_ Sam thought as she shut her phone. _'Maybe I should try...ugh...prunes.' _The blond girl slowly pulled herself off the bed and limped out of the room, clutching her cell phone in her left hand.

Within a minute or two, Sam made her way back into the kitchen. Luckily for her, Freddie was still asleep on the couch so she didn't have to explain her absence. As the girl inspected the cabinets and fridge, her phone started to vibrate once more.

**Prunes help with..ya know. dont b such a baby!**

Sam couldn't help but chuckle once more as she texted a reply.

* * *

Carly opened her cell phone curiously, wondering what snarly remark her friend would reply next.

**u dont have any in the house! n im not a baby!**

The brunette girl paused for a moment. _'She actually considered taking my suggestion and looked around the house for prunes..'_ Carly thought, realizing her friend's problem wasn't just a simple joke. She must have really felt badly. Carly then glanced back down at her phone and started to click along the buttons.

* * *

Sam sighed as she hobbled back over to the couch and sat next to Freddie. With a small sigh of defeat she sat back into the couch cushions until her phone vibrated yet again. Sam opened it up and lazily read the message.

**if u r really havin trouble, tell Spencer. he'll go 2 store n buy stuff 2 help u out**

Sam's eyes widened at this as she began texting furiously.

* * *

Carly was surprised at how quickly the next text came as she flipped open her cell.

**NO WAY! embarrassin!**

Carly cocked an eyebrow, realizing her crude friend actually had a more humble side.

* * *

Sam waited quietly in the living room as her phone received her friend's reply. She flipped it open and scanned the message.

**Spence wont mind. he dosnt care about things like that.**

Sam knew her friend was speaking the truth, but she was still reluctant to talk about this problem to Spencer, especially since she had already shared an awkward moment with him moments before. With a small sigh, she started to type out a message.

* * *

Carly noticed her cell phone vibrate and hoped that Sam would give in to her suggestion. After opening it back up, her face fell in depression as she read her friend's message.

**Not happenin.**

_'Always so difficult..' _Carly thought tiredly as she typed back a response.

* * *

Sam waited as she wondered what Carly was going to say next. She figured it would be another insult of acting immature, and the blond girl cracked a small smile at this. Soon enough her phone shook once more as she opened it back up.

**Fine! ur such a baby!** -_Sam paused for a moment at this, chuckling to herself before continuing to read Carly's message- _**how bout this? u figure out wat u need, txt me, n ill buy it before i get home from school, k?**

Sam started to type along her phone, appreciative of her friend's willingness to help her out with her embarrassing situation.

* * *

Carly waited until her phone vibrated again. She picked it up curiously, wondering what Sam thought about her offer.

**Thanks carls. mucho appreciated.**

The brunette girl smiled at this, happy that her friend didn't feel embarrassed enough to avoid discussing this with her. Just then Carly looked up as the bell rang and kids started to get up from their seats. The brunette girl quickly snapped her attention back to her cell phone and typed along it quickly.

* * *

Sam closed her eyes and waited for a response. After her cell hummed once more, she opened her eyes and flipped the top back up.

**Whoops! study hall is over! ttyl during lunch, ok? n remember if u figure out wat u need, just txt me n ill get if 4 u!**

Sam sat forward and quickly typed out a response.

* * *

Carly had slung her book bag over her shoulder and was walking out of the room when her phone vibrated once more. Making sure she was careful not to bump into anyone, she flipped it open and read it as she started to walk down the hall.

**K, ttyl! n thanks again!**

The brunette girl smiled and clamped down her phone as she shoved it back into her pocket.

* * *

**Lol, poor Sam! I read up on what patients go through when recovering from an appendectomy, and it seems as though constipation is a pretty big complication that people get from after the surgery (Which makes sense considering the surgery deals with the intestines...) so I figured I could spin this problem in a funny (and not completely disgusting) way, so I hoped you liked the chapter.  
**

**Also, do you guys think the whole texting scene flowed well? It's a bit hard to flip back and forth between scenes to show the girls reading texts, so I hope it came out alright. I really enjoyed writing that part too. XD**


	79. Gross Medicine

**Sorry for the delay in updates! I've been getting swamped with homework and such. I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again, but I might not be able to keep it at a daily flow anymore. I'll try to get the next chapter up asap though!**

* * *

Sam shut her cell phone and placed it down on the table, having just finished her quick conversation with Carly. She then looked over to her left and saw that Freddie was still sitting upright on the couch, asleep. With a sigh, Sam looked back over towards the table and noticed the package of saltine crackers that her friend had left for her earlier in the morning.

"Hey.." Sam stated quietly as she looked back over at Freddie. "You going to eat those?" She asked jokingly, pointing to the crackers. She was met with no response other than a loud snore from the boy. "Thought so." She chuckled as she slowly reached over and grabbed the box from the table. After ripping the package open, Sam began to chomp on a few. As she topped off three crackers, she looked back over at the table and saw the bottle of ginger ale Carly had also left for her. With a small wince, Sam reached over for it. Her stomach was still pretty achy from the surgery and the various recovery _complications_. After picking the bottle up, Sam twisted the cap off and took a small swig of the liquid.

"Mm good." She sighed, wiping her mouth off with the back of her hand. She then closed the bottle up tight, making sure it wouldn't spill, and set it down next to her on the couch. Sam continued to munch on her crackers as Spencer walked in. He was freshly showered and had a new set of clothes on.

"Hey there Sam." He gave her a gentle smile as she looked over at him with a mouthful of crackers.

"Rey.." Her muffled voice greeted him quietly, a few crumbs slipping out of her mouth. She was still a bit embarrassed about what happened before with the bathroom and finally gulped down her mouthful and sighed.

"So.." Spencer stated cautiously, wanting to make sure she was ok without bringing anything _specific_ up. "Um...I see you're eating crackers." He smiled. "Your stomach any feeling better?"

"I'm ok." Sam lied quietly, holding a hand over her stomach as it hurt from the unsuccessful trip to the restroom.

"Alright then." Spencer stated as he walked over to the kitchen counter and picked up his set of keys and the pill bottle. "I'm going to go out for a bit, but I won't be gone for too long. You've got two hours until your painkillers start wearing off, but I'll be back before that. I'd say a half hour or so...that ok?"

"Ok." Sam replied quietly, avoiding eye contact as she reached into her box of crackers once more and pulled out a few._ 'Maybe I should tell him about my problem..' _She thought for a moment, knowing that Spencer could get some stuff while he was out now and save Carly a trip. Her stomach was hurting pretty badly, but she was still reluctant to open up to him about her humiliating problem. _'Uh, but what the heck would I tell him to get anyway? And how mortifying would it be to ask him for something like prunes? Yes Spencer! I'd like you to get me a prune smoothie because I'm having trouble taking a..'_

"Sam?" Spencer's voice cut off the girl's crude thoughts as she jumped in her seat, not realizing he had walked over towards the front of the couch and was staring at her.

"Huh, what?"

"I asked if you're ok." He cocked an eyebrow of concern. "You look kind of...bothered. Anything you want to talk about?"

Sam just stared up at him for a moment and gulped nervously. "Uh..I...no." She finally stated. "It's nothing."

Spencer wasn't fully convinced. "You sure?" He asked gently. "Because...you know, you can talk to me about anything." There was a long pause as the two stared at each other. Spencer saw that she was hesitating for some reason, and decided to break the tension. "You can tell me if you're feeling crummy." He added. Sam looked up at the man curiously and watched as the corners of his mouth twisted upward into a smile. "Get it?" Spencer tried to stifle a few laughs as he bent down towards Sam and picked up a cracker from her hand. "Crummy?" He stated, pointing towards the cracker. Sam just let out a deep sigh.

"Good bye Spencer." The blond girl rolled her eyes.

"Ok ok bad joke I know!" He smiled sheepishly, bringing the cracker up to his mouth and taking a bite. "But still, anything you want to talk about? You look..." He paused for a moment.

"Like crap?" Sam offered.

"No!" He exclaimed. "You look like you have something you want to get off your chest."

Sam glanced down at her shirt before looking back up at him and shrugging. "No, nothing there I want to get off."

"It's an expression Sam! C'mon! Work with me here!" Spencer laughed. "Seriously, you feelin alright kid?"

Sam let out a long exasperated sigh as she broke eye contact with him and just stared at the wall. _'Should I tell him or not?' _As there was a long moment of silence, Spencer cocked his eyebrow and followed Sam's eye sight to see what she was staring at. All he could see was the wall. He moved his head up and down a bit to try and see if there was anything else she was looking at but he saw nothing.

"Spence?" Sam asked quietly, looking back up at him. She noticed he was still staring at the wall.

"Hey, what was so interesting over there that you.." Spencer lifted up a finger and pointed to the wall as he glanced back at her. He saw that she was obviously not amused by this because of the glare she was giving him. "Sorry!"

Sam let out a deep sigh, finally coming to the conclusion that she could tell Spencer what was up. "If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell anyone else?"

Spencer's face instantly changed from his usual goofy look to one of concern. "Of course Sam. You can always trust me." He watched as she stared at him for a moment, studying his expression. Sam noticed that this was one of the rare times Spencer put aside his childlike demeanor, and assumed a more parental and supportive role. After looking at him for a moment, the girl realized that...she liked this side of him. It meant he cared.

"I know I can trust you.." She stated quietly, looking down at her hands on her lap as she took in a deep breath and let it out. "Alright." Sam paused for a moment, looking back up at him. Spencer remained quiet as he let her go at her own pace. Sam was appreciative of this and continued to talk. "Well, the thing is...I've been having a bit of trouble with something."

"Trouble?" Spencer asked, wondering if she was alright.

"I can't..." Sam gulped nervously. "..go."

"Go?" Spencer cocked an eyebrow, not sure what she meant.

Sam let out a deep sigh as she felt the color rising in her cheeks. "Like, to the bathroom?" She offered, trying to make him understand.

"The bathroom?" His brow furrowed in thought for a moment. "Oooooh!" Spencer replied softly, giving her a small smile to show that he understood. "That's alright, we can fix tha.." His voice trailed off though as he realized he wasn't _completely_ sure what she meant. "Wait a second. Do you mean...?" He held up one finger and Sam shook her head.

"One more." She sighed, as she watched him put another finger up. He was now showing the number two. "Yeah, _that_." She sighed.

Spencer let out a breath of relief, glad to hear that the problem was what he originally thought. If she was having trouble passing liquids then something would have definitely been wrong and a trip to the hospital was the only solution for that. "Oh, that's good then!" He gave her a big smile, but it faltered when he realized how badly his reaction must have looked to her, as he saw the horrified expression on her face.

"Excuse me?!" Sam stared at him wildly, wondering why he seemed to be _happy _about her situation.

"Whoops sorry! Not what I meant! I mean, I'm just glad it's nothing more serious! This is ok though! I have something to help you out!" He gave her a big smile as he ran over to the kitchen and opened up a drawer.

"You have something for this?" Sam asked awkwardly. "Is this like....a common occurrence around the Shay household?"

"Noooo." Spencer chuckled as he pulled out a measuring spoon and what seemed to be a medicine bottle and walked back over to the living room. "When you came back from the hospital, I researched some details about what you could go through and well...your 'problem' seems to be a common one that appendectomy patients have. I bought lots of remedies and stuff for various complications, and this is the one for your current situation. Here you go." He smiled as he handed Sam the bottle.

"Milk of Magnesia?" She read the label, hesitant about using it. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yup. It helps flush out your system." Spencer smiled as he sat down on the table facing Sam and took the bottle back from her.

_'Flush my system out?'_ Sam thought, still feeling a bit embarrassed as she glanced over at Freddie. _'God am I thankful he's still asleep.' _She then looked back over at Spencer as he continued to talk._  
_

"It's recommended that you take a laxative if you haven't been able to go to the bathroom two days after your surgery." He then looked over at her for confirmation.

Sam let out a sigh. "It's been three."

"Alrighty, no problem, we'll fix you up." He gave her a small smile before looking back down at the bottle. He squinted as he read the directions. "According to this you'll have to take two tablespoons." Spencer then twisted off the top, and held up the measuring spoon as he poured in the correct amount. Sam grimaced as she watched the white milk liquid pour out of the bottle.

"That's nasty." She exclaimed as he carefully handed her the spoon.

"Yeah, does look a bit gross." Spencer gave her a sympathetic smile. "But it'll help."

"Fine." Sam sighed, reluctantly putting the spoon up to her mouth. Just as she was about to slurp it down, she paused and brought the spoon down.

"Huh? Something wrong?"

"Let's just clear one thing up before I do this." Sam stated firmly.

"Um sure."

"Whatever this jank milk does to me, leave me alone when the stuff starts working, ok?"

"Of course." Spencer chuckled. "Don't worry, what happened before was a mistake. I was being stupid and oblivious. I won't hound you anymore if you gotta leave." He then put his fingers up boy scout-like. "Promise."

"Good." Sam sighed, glad he understood. "Also.." She glanced over to her left and looked at Freddie. "Can we not tell the nub about this?"

"Secret's safe with me." Spencer smiled, realizing Sam was a bit embarrassed to let Freddie in on her problem. Spencer was just thankful that she opened up to him and that he could help her out.

"Thanks.." Sam replied quietly, lifting the spoon back up to her mouth. Spencer watched as she tilted the utensil up and downed the stuff. Unfortunately, almost as soon as all the liquid disappeared, Sam's eyes widened.

"Hey, are you alrig-?" Before Spencer could finish his question, Sam dropped the spoon onto her lap and put her hands over her mouth as she started to gag. "Whoa ok, take it easy!" Spencer jumped up and sat down on the couch next to her, putting a hand on her back as she continued to cough and retch. It took Sam all of her strength to avoid puking, but somehow she managed to keep it down. After a few seconds, Spencer realized the girl was calming down. Finally, she removed her hands from her face and looked at Spencer who was now sitting to her right.

"THAT TASTED HORRIBLE!" She yelled out. It was a wonder that her outburst didn't wake Freddie up, but the boy continued to stay asleep on the couch.

"Sorry! I didn't know!" Spencer stated apologetically. He then glanced down and noticed the spoon on her lap and picked it up. "Um, time for the next spoonful?" He added with a sheepish smile as he held it up.

"I don't think so!" Sam glared at him angrily. "That stuff tastes disgusting! No way am I taking another spoonful."

"Oh, it couldn't have been that bad.." Spencer tried to cheer her up.

"You know the stuff that skunks squirt out of their butt?" Sam asked bluntly.

"Yeah?" Spencer asked hesitantly, knowing where she was going with this.

"Why don't you get me a glass of it so I can wash down the nasty taste of this medicine." Sam huffed as she sat back into the couch cushions. Spencer just grimaced at the imagery in his head.

"Alright, I get it. Milk of Magnesia is bad." He gave a shaky laugh. "But still, you should take another spoonful."

"And you should workout." Sam crossed her arms. "Doesn't look like either is happening."

"Hey! I've got muscles!" Spencer exclaimed in retaliation as he flexed a bicep. Sam just looked over at him for a second and cocked an eyebrow. "Somewhere..." He added, poking at his skin. "But seriously.." Spencer stated as he put down his arm and held up the spoon once more. "Just take one more dose, then I promise I won't bother you anymore, ok?" He stared at Sam for a second, who seemed to be firm in her decision of not taking anymore. "For me? Please?" He held up the spoon once more, jutting out his bottom lip as he gave her a pout. Spencer watched as the girl's expression softened before she uncrossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Fine..whatev. But if this makes me puke, I'm yacking all over you."

"I will take that chance." Spencer smiled as he opened the bottle back up and started to pour out one more spoonful. Sam just shook her head as she watched the liquid for a second time, knowing the horrors that awaited her. "Here ya go." Spencer handed her the last spoonful.

"This sucks." Sam moaned as she took her free hand and closed her nose before quickly slurping off the liquid from the spoon. Spencer watched as she dropped the spoon hastily onto her lap once more, and clamped a hand over her mouth, all the while keeping the other one over her nose. He waited patiently as she sat in silence, swallowing around five times in a row to make sure the liquid was all gone. After a little bit, Sam finally removed her hands from her face. "Ugh.." She let out a small groan.

"See, kiddo? Now was that so bad?" He reached over and gave her a small pat on the knee.

"Yes." She sighed tiredly. Spencer just gave her a smile before glancing back down at the bottle in his hands. After reading a few more sentences, his eyes widened as he realized something. "Oh, would you look at that.." He gave a nervous chuckle.

"What?"

"It's recommended that you dilute the stuff in milk. Not required, but recommended.." He then looked over at her with a small smile. "Oops."

"Wow.." Sam just shook her head in disbelief. "Thank you Dr. Shay!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"Want some milk?" Spencer offered humbly.

"A bit too late dontcha think?" Sam slit her eyes at him.

"Yeah, sorry." Spencer scratched the back of his neck guiltily.

"It's alright." She sighed, sitting back into the couch cushions as she propped her feet up on the table and crossed them. Normally she'd start yelling at such a mistake, but Spencer _was _being kind by listening to her problems and taking care of it. The least she could do was be appreciative of the fact that he cared enough to do all this for her.

"Ok." Spencer stated as he put his hands on his knees and pulled himself off the couch. "I'm going to go put this stuff away."

"Forever I hope." Sam moaned. Spencer just gave her a sympathetic smile as he walked back over to the kitchen and placed to spoon in the sink. He then opened the drawer and put the bottle in before shutting it.

"Now you just sit tight and try to relax ok?" Spencer walked over towards the elevator. "That stuff should work soon."

"Yippee." Sam stated in monotone, twirling a finger in the air to show her false excitement of having her body go crazy on her.

"I'll be back soon. Call me if you need anything. Got my cell." He gave her a small wink as the door slid open and he stepped in.

"Thanks." Sam replied, giving him a nod of the head. And with that, the door slid down. The apartment was quiet save for the low snores coming from Freddie's throat, and the hum of the TV. Sam just sat quietly on the couch until she realized something that had piqued her curiosity. _'Where the heck was Spencer going anyways?'_

* * *

**Yay for the return of Spencer's lame jokes! And poor Sam having to take yucky medicine. (We've all been through it though. Yeck!) But at least she opened up to Spencer and is getting help, right? ;)  
**


	80. Makeover

**Ok, I just want to say that I hastily finished this chapter up like twenty minutes before I had to go to class, so I haven't really proofread it all that much. I know there are a few parts I want to smooth out (such as repetitive wording and junk) but I don't have time for that right now! Still, I wanted to get the chapter up, because I'll be gone for like four hours once I leave. So, basically, I just wanted to say that there might be a few grammatical mistakes! I will fix them up later tonight when I have the time!**

* * *

Sam just sat quietly on the couch until she realized something that had piqued her curiosity. _'Where the heck was Spencer going anyways?' _She thought to herself, having forgotten to ask him. "Oh well.." Sam sighed as she leaned forward and grabbed her cell phone off the table. She flipped open the top and opened up a new text message to send to Carly. After typing in a few words, Sam hit the send button and shut her phone.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Ridgeway, Carly was currently sitting at her desk in history class. The teacher stood up by the board and was discussing some details about the Civil War. Most students were taking notes, while others just listened, and some were just too lazy to do even do that and slept. Carly looked over to her right and saw an empty seat, knowing it would have been occupied by another kid that fell into the sleeping category, Sam Puckett. With a small sigh, the brunette girl looked back up at the teacher and continued to write down some notes in her notebook. A few minutes passed, when a small vibration against Carly's leg made her jump. Luckily no one saw this as they were too preoccupied with taking notes or sleeping. After glancing around the room for a moment to make sure the coast was clear, Carly hesitantly pulled out her cell phone and saw that she had a new text message from Sam. The girl paused, knowing that this was unlike study hall, and if the teacher saw her, she would get in trouble. Under normal circumstances, Carly would have put the phone away and waited until it was between classes to check, but with Sam sick at her apartment, she decided to bend the rules just this once. After checking to make sure the teacher wasn't looking her way, Carly looked back down at her phone and quickly opened up the text.

**Hey carls, u dun hav 2 respond. i no u dont hav lunch until 20 mins or so. anyways, u dont need to buy me anythin. i told spence about my 'problem'. thx for offerin 2 help tho!**

Carly smiled as she read the text. She was actually proud of her best friend for getting the courage to tell her brother what was up. She knew Sam was stubborn and disliked any form of help, but the girl had made tons of progress over the past few days, and Carly was glad about that. With another small smile, Carly shut her cell phone and slipped it back into her pocket. She was also pleased that she avoided getting caught.

* * *

Back at the apartment, Sam sat quietly next to Freddie as she watched the TV screen. The two sat in silence, minus the fact that Freddie was snoring up a storm.

"Geeze.." Sam sighed, looking over at him. "Could you tone it down a bit." He just let off another snore. "Ugh, and to think that you stayed home from school to try and provide entertainment for me." Sam rolled her eyes. Still, as annoying as the boy was, Sam did have to admit that deep down, she liked the fact that her friends cared enough to make sure that she wasn't alone. As Sam continued to watch the TV, trying to ignore Freddie's snores, a small scraping caught the girl's attention. "Huh?" Sam glanced over towards the left side of the room and saw Frothy hobbling out of Spencer's bedroom.

"Oh, Frothball, where have you been?" Sam asked curiously as she watched her cat limp his way over to the right side of the couch. He then sat up on his hind legs and jumped up. Sam smiled as he hobbled over towards her right side and curled in a ball next to her, resting his head against her leg. "What were you doing in Spencer's room?" Sam asked, stroking him a few times behind the ears. Frothy said nothing but closed his eyes and started purring. _'Silly cat.'_ Sam laughed to herself quietly, realizing her cat had grown accustomed to Spencer over the past few days.

* * *

A few minutes had passed as Sam pet her cat lovingly as she continued to watch the TV. Everything was calm and quiet in the room until an odd sensation in the girl ripped at her insides.

"Oh god!" Sam murmured, putting a hand over her stomach. Frothy just opened his eyes once she stopped petting him and looked up at her curiously.

"Mrow?"

"Um Froth, you gotta get off me.." Sam replied quickly, realizing the Milk of Magnesia had come back with a vengeance. The cat wouldn't budge off her lap, and Sam rolled her eyes at this. "C'mon you little fatty." She stated as he squirmed her fingers underneath his fat gray rolls of fur and tried to pick him up. As soon as she started to lift him, she felt a gross pressure on her incision, and quickly realized she had forgotten that she couldn't pick anything up that weighed over ten pounds. Frothy unfortunately fell under that category.

"Urf!" Sam moaned settling the cat back down. The blond girl then started half carrying, half dragging the cat across her lap before settling him down next to Freddie. Frothy just stayed rag-doll like, wondering what the heck his owner was doing with him. Sam looked at her pet and realized he was confused. "Look, I, I just gotta leave alright? You stay with Freddie, keep him company!" She exclaimed, putting her feet to the floor and pulling herself off the couch. Frothy hadn't budged an inch as he continued to stare at his owner with an inquisitive look on his face. Sam quickly scurried across the living room and over to the elevator before pressing the button. Frothy cocked his head as he watched her step in. He was aware that she was leaving the room, and didn't like it.

"Mrow!" He whined.

"Frothball! Stop that! I'll be back in a little bit." Sam then paused for a moment. "Use Freddie as a scratching post if you need to!" And with that the elevator door slid down. All was quiet in the living room until Freddie let out a loud snore. Frothy's ears clamped down tight on top of his head as he looked over cautiously at the boy. The cat was obviously unsure of his company.

* * *

Meanwhile, ten minutes had passed since Sam had bolted upstairs. She sighed tiredly as she opened up the bathroom door.

"Well _that_ worked." The blond girl moaned, stepping out of Carly's bathroom and clicking the light off. Despite the fact that her problem had been fixed, she now had a new type of pain in her stomach, but at least it was less annoying than the other one. With a small sigh, Sam started to hobble over to the door to leave but paused when something in Carly's room caught her attention.

"Huh..?" Sam turned back around and slowly made her way over to her friend's vanity desk. On top of it lay a big makeup case. Sam recognized it as the one Carly uses before going to school. While her friend did like using some makeup, Carly never layered it on too much. Because of that, she had a bunch of extra unused stuff in her big makeup case.

Sam just stood there quietly, staring at it until the corners of her mouth twisted into an evil smile as she suddenly had a wicked idea. "Freddie, I hope you're a heavy sleeper." Sam chuckled, rubbing her hands together.

* * *

Back at Ridgeway, another ten minutes had passed as various students were getting ready for their lunch period, Carly included.

The brunette girl had just sat down at a lunch table with her tray when her phone started to vibrate in her pocket.

"Hm?" She set down her food and reached in and pulled the device out. The front screen displayed her best friend's name, signaling she had a new text. "Nice timing Sam." Carly laughed as she flipped open the top.

**Hey**

Carly couldn't help but chuckle. Her friend sure knew how to start a conversation. With a smile, the brunette girl started to type along her phone.

* * *

Sam was now sitting on the couch, back in the living room. The makeup case placed to the girl's right side. It was opened and various objects were haphazardly tossed around, showing that they had been used. Frothy was sitting next to the case and was playfully pawing at one of the blush brushes. Meanwhile, Sam was staring at her beautiful handiwork on Freddie when her phone vibrated in her palm.

"Good, I caught Carly at the right time." She smiled, knowing it was her friend's lunch hour. She flipped open her cell and read the message.

**Hey Sam, hows things? u feeling any better then be4?**

Sam paused for a moment as she thought of her best friend's words. While she still felt pretty ill, Sam had to admit that she was in a much better mood. And the girl had Freddie to thank for that. Still, as good as Sam was feeling mentally, she was a bit drained from all the excitement. The blond girl looked down at her phone and began typing.

* * *

Carly sat quietly at her table as she opened up her cartoon of milk and placed a straw in. Her phone started to vibrate so she picked it up and flipped the top open.

**My stomach still hurts, but i can deal. also, feelin a bit more tired den normal. n not sure if itz just me, but i tink its cold in here....prolly jus me.**

Carly frowned as she realized her friend was still feeling pretty sick.

* * *

Sam let off a tired sigh as she sat back into the couch. When her phone vibrated, she picked it up to see what her best friend wrote.

**Oh, sorry 2 hear that. tell Spence to put heat up.**

Sam smiled a bit as she texted a response. While she was a bit cold, it wasn't anything too drastic.

* * *

Carly had gotten her math notebook out and had it flipped open to a page when her cell phone hummed out it's familiar tune. She opened it up and scanned the new message.

**He's still out. said he b back in like 20 mins. it ok tho. dont need heat up. so hows studyin?**

Carly looked down at her notebook and chuckled. It was as if Sam had esp.

* * *

Sam glanced down as her phone vibrated yet again.

**Good. i think ill do ok on test. no worries. :)**

_'That's good.' _Sam thought to herself. Just then Freddie let out another loud snore, and she looked over at him. Sam cocked an eyebrow as she looked at her friend and then glanced back down at her cellphone. "Hmm.." She murmured, smiling as she got an idea.

* * *

Carly was checking up on her notes when her cell phone vibrated again. She reached over and opened up the top to see what her best friend wrote.

**glad 2 hear! oh ya, freddie n i want to wish u luck, hold on.**

Carly cocked an eyebrow at this as she set her phone down and waited for whatever her best friend wanted her to hold on for. Around one minute had passed when her phone started to vibrate. Carly reached over and noticed it was loading a picture.

"Oh?" She continued to stare at the screen at the bar continued to load. It was at 70% so Carly reached over and grabbed her milk carton with her free hand and took a sip from the straw. As she continued to drink, the bar sped up at the last moment and was climbing up from 90%. Once it said the image was at 100%, the screen was replaced with the picture Sam had sent her.

As soon as the brunette girl saw what was on her phone, her eyes widened and she choked on her drink. Carly couldn't help but spit out a bit of milk in a moment of confusion and shock. Two girls who were walking by with their trays of food stopped and looked at her as the milk dribbled down from her chin and onto her shirt.

"Gross!" One of the girls stated as the other shook her head.

"Sorry!" Carly replied to them as she grabbed a napkin and dabbed her shirt. The girls just cocked their eyebrows and walked away. With a small sigh, Carly turned back towards her phone after recollecting herself. She looked down at her screen once more to _really_ take in the picture.

Sam and Freddie were both sitting on the couch facing the phone. It was obvious that Sam was the one holding it up as her right arm was extended over and out of the shot as she aimed her cell towards her and Freddie. The blond girl had her left arm wrapped around the boy's shoulders as she smiled at the screen. Freddie was sitting next to her, eyes closed, and dead to the world. But the detail that caught Carly's attention about this was that he was wearing a luscious red shade of lipstick, along with drastic purple eye shadow and pink blush. Sam had even somehow managed to clip one of Carly's old butterfly bows into his front bangs. All of this was a very humorous sight, and Carly saw that even though Sam still looked pretty ill, as her eyes had bags under them and her skin was pale, the girl had a huge smile on her face as she posed for the camera, and it was obvious why. She had managed to turn Freddie into Fredrina.

"Oh...my....god.." Carly stated disbelievingly as the corners of her mouth curled up into a smile. She couldn't help but start chuckling as she stared at the picture. Even though Sam was under the weather, the girl had managed to play one of the funniest pranks she ever has on Freddie. While Carly didn't approve of most of Sam's jokes towards the boy, she had to give her friend credit for this one. It was just too funny.

As Carly stared at the phone, she couldn't help but smile again at another detail her best friend had placed in it. In Sam's left hand was a hastily scribbled message on a piece of paper that she held over Freddie's chest. It said 'Good luck on your test!'

After looking at the phone for a few more seconds, Carly just laughed and opened up a new text to send to Sam.

* * *

Sam sat on the couch, proudly looking over at Freddie. The boy was still asleep and had no clue that his two best friends were currently laughing at his expense. Sam just shook her head and smiled. "Thanks for staying with me Freddo!" She gave him a light playful punch to the arm. "Definitely wasn't as bad as I thought it would be!"

Just then, Sam's cellphone started to vibrate on the couch cushion next to her, so she reached over and picked it up to see what Carly's response was.

**OMG Sam! wat the heck?! LOL! i can c ur havin fun wit freddie! is he asleep?! n is that my makeup??!! lol anyway thx 4 the gl message!**

Sam just smiled and typed along her cellphone.

* * *

Carly waited patiently until her phone vibrated once more so she picked it up and flipped the top open.

**Ya, SHE is asleep haha. n i did borrow ur makeup. figured u wouldnt mind, but if u do...oh well, 2 late now! ;) glad u liked it. i wonder how long he'll be out for... **

Once Carly read this part of the text, she paused._ 'Oh, poor Freddie. He better wake up soon..' _She thought, wondering what new tortures Sam would think up for him if the boy continued to stay in dreamland. With a chuckle, Carly looked back down at her phone and finished reading Sam's text.

**..ok, i'll stop botherin u now n let u study. ttyl!**

Carly smiled and typed back a quick response.

* * *

Sam felt her phone vibrate in her hand and she opened it up.

**Haha, alright. just dont kill him! ttyl.**

Sam couldn't help but laugh at this as she shut her cellphone. _'Nah, I couldn't kill someone as pretty as that.' _She thought, muffling a few more chuckles as she glanced back over at the boy covered in makeup. _'Hm...what else would be funny?'_ Sam thought curiously, staring at her beautiful work of art. Freddie just let out an ungraceful snort.

"Oh my, how unladylike of you!" Sam chuckled. A small ding brought her out of her thoughts though as Sam looked over the back of the couch to see the elevator door sliding up, slowly revealing Spencer. Just as she was about to greet him, a small groan detracted Sam's attention as she looked over towards her left. It was apparent that Freddie was on the verge of waking up.

_'Oh, this is just too good.'_ Sam smiled, realizing she couldn't have timed it better.

* * *

**So Freddie's company wasn't completely useless. ;) He did provide some entertainment for Sam!**


	81. The Prank Continues

**Just gotta say, fun chapter to write. ;)**

* * *

_'Hm...what else would be funny?' _Sam thought curiously, staring at her beautiful work of art. Freddie just let out an ungraceful snort.

"Oh my, how unladylike of you!" Sam chuckled. A small ding brought her out of her thoughts though as she looked over the back of the couch to see the elevator door sliding up, slowly revealing Spencer. Just as she was about to greet him, a small groan detracted Sam's attention as she looked over towards her left. It was apparent that Freddie was on the verge of waking up.

_'Oh, this is just too good.'_ Sam smiled, realizing she couldn't have timed it better. The elevator door finally opened up all the way and Spencer stepped out.

"Lucy! I'm home!" He called out with a big smile, walking over to the counter and settling down a smile white bag on top of it.

"Huh? What?" Sam looked over the back of the couch at him. Spencer glanced at her and realized she was confused.

"You know...I Love Lucy?"

"Um congrats? I love ham?" Sam shrugged.

"You need to watch some classics kiddo." Spencer smiled and shook his head. Sam just cocked an eyebrow at this until she heard a slight moan next to her. She looked over and realized she had temporarily forgotten that Freddie was waking up.

"Oh Spence?!" Sam quickly turned her attention back towards him.

"Yeah?" He asked casually, walking over towards the couch.

"Whatever you do, DON'T tell Freddie what's on his.." Sam couldn't finish her statement though as Spencer finally laid eyes on the boy.

"OH MY GOSH!" He exclaimed, staring at him. Sam just smiled as she watched Spencer's eyes widen as he continued to gawk at Freddie. Finally, the man broke eye contact and looked over at Sam. He still had the look of disbelief in his eyes as his mouth hung open slightly. Sam watched humorously as Spencer slowly raised one of his hands and pointed at the grumbling boy on the couch with his eyes still closed. "Did _you_...?"

"Yup." Sam smiled proudly, turning around and picking up Carly's makeup case from off the couch. "Found this and thought it could be put to better use." The blond girl tapped it on it's side.

Spencer just shook his head slowly, starting to clap his hands. "That's just awesome. Pure mean, and awesome."

"Thank you, I try." Sam laughed. Just then Freddie let out another soft mumble as he finally opened his eyes. Spencer and Sam both stayed quiet as he sat forward and let out a huge yawn.

"Urm.." The boy gave a soft mumble as he finally opened his eyes and glanced around tiredly. Once Freddie cleared up his eyesight, he noticed Sam was sitting next to him on the couch.

"Oh, uh, did I fall asleep?" Freddie asked awkwardly, seeing that both Spencer and Sam were kind of just...staring at him. The last thing he could remember was watching TV with Sam when she fell asleep herself and then soon after everything went black.

"Y-yeah." Sam stuttered a bit, trying her best to avoid breaking out into a hysterical fit of laughter. While it was funny to cover Freddie's face in makeup as he slept, actually talking to the boy when he looked like this was one thousand times funnier, especially since he had no clue.

"Oh.." Freddie replied quietly, noticing Sam's weird expression. "Um sorry for falling asleep." He added bashfully.

"No problem sleeping beauty." Sam replied with a huge smile on her face. Freddie cocked an eyebrow at her curiously.

"Are you ok?"

"Fine, fine." Sam put a hand up to her mouth to avoid chuckling. Freddie mistook this for a cough and reached gently to put his hand against her forehead.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm ok, trust me." Sam replied, pushing his hand away as she kept the smile on her face. Freddie was now starting to get weirded out by this since the girl almost never smiled when talking to him, unless she was insulting him of course. The two friends stared at each other for a moment until an uproar of laughter burst from behind the couch. Both of the kids looked over to see Spencer holding his arms across his stomach as he laughed uncontrollably. It was apparent that the man couldn't hold out any longer and finally gave into his weakness of laughing at Freddie's made up face.

"Ok, what's going on?!" Freddie demanded to know, especially when Sam had started chuckling next to him as well. He furrowed his eyebrows to try and show Spencer and Sam that he wasn't amused by whatever was going on. Unfortunately the boy would have looked a bit tougher with his angry expression if his face wasn't covered in purple and pink makeup.

"Oh, well you see.." Spencer paused for a moment to wipe a tear out of his eye. As he was about to continue, Spencer noticed the dead glare Sam was giving him from the couch as she shook her head 'no.' It was obvious she didn't want Freddie to know yet. "Um, oh well.." Spencer stuttered as he stood up straight. "Uh, I told a joke."

"A joke?" Freddie asked awkwardly.

"Yes." Spencer stated, keeping an unemotional look on his face, offering no other form of explanation. Freddie was still confused as heck.

"What joke?"

"Eh something about a Lucy... it was nothing." Sam cut in, grabbing Freddie by the arm so he would turn his attention back to her. As soon as the boy looked at her, Sam started to chuckle once more but bit the bottom of her lip to keep her composure. "So.." Sam stated cautiously, her mouth twitching every once in a while as she tried to avoid laughing. The girl wanted to keep this prank going for as long as she could, and she needed a diversion to keep her from going into a hysterical fit. After glancing around the room, Sam noticed that the bag Freddie had brought with him was laying on the floor next to the right side of the couch. "Um, what else did you bring?" She asked curiously, pointing to it.

Freddie cocked an eyebrow and looked to where she was pointing to see his bag. "Oh." He gave a small laugh. "I forgot about that." He explained, turning around to pick it up. Once Freddie was preoccupied with his current task, Sam snuck a quick glance over to Spencer and clasped her hands and placed them under her chin. She then batted her eyelashes at him, making the girliest face she could. Spencer just clamped a hand over his mouth to avoid erupting in laughter. As soon as Freddie sat back up, both Sam and Spencer quickly stopped what they were doing and instantly removed any emotional expressions from their faces.

"Here we are." Freddie said with a smile, settling the bag onto his lap. As the boy smiled, Sam and Spencer couldn't help but watch his beautifully made up red lips curve upward. This sight was enough to make Spencer loose his grip on his laughter.

"OK! I'M GOING TO MY ROOM!" The man yelled out, feeling himself loose control over himself as a few chuckles slipped out in between words. Freddie just looked back at him wide eyed, not sure why he was giggling. The face Freddie was giving Spencer was just too much, especially with the purple eye shadow accentuating the boy's shocked expression. And with that, Spencer gave up the fight on his emotions. "H-HAVE FUN GUYS!" Spencer exclaimed, running towards the hallway with his arms wrapped around his stomach as he ran away in a fit of laughter. When the man disappeared from the room, Sam and Freddie could hear him slam his door. Afterward, a few muffled giggles came out from the bedroom before everything went dead silent. Freddie just continued to stare at the empty space before turning back around towards Sam.

"What in the world was up with.." Freddie started to say until he noticed that the corners of Sam's mouth were quivering, as if she was going to laugh. "Ok, will you tell me what's going on?!" Freddie huffed.

"Like I s-s-said. Spencer told a joke." Sam smiled at him. His face was just too much.

"No, there's something else going on. Tell me." Freddie glared at her, adding that much more humor to his facial features.

"It's nothing!" Sam exclaimed, before taking in a deep breath and letting it out to regain her composure. With a small cough, she then looked up at the boy as seriously as she could.

"Sammmm..." Freddie stated slowly with an accusing tone. The blond girl just looked down and away from him. She knew he was really suspicious about the situation, so she needed to set up an excuse in order to keep the prank going. After thinking for a quick second, Sam remembered that Freddie had said something about her being giggly on her painkillers so she decided that would be a good excuse. "I think it's just my meds." Sam replied quietly, avoiding eye contact. When he heard this, Freddie's expression immediately softened.

"Oh...ok then..." He stated quietly as she looked back up at him. Freddie wanted Sam to know that he wasn't going to judge her for her behavior when she was on her pills. Unfortunately for him, he was completely being played by the girl. Sam watched as he gave her a smile, but despite how kind he was being, he still looked hilarious with all the makeup on.

"T-t-thanks." Sam chuckled. Freddie just nodded in an understanding way, figuring there was no problem if his friend felt giggly from her medication. It was unfortunate that he was unaware that he was the cause of her hysteria. As usual, Sam was pulling the wool over his eyes.

"So...bag?" Sam pointed, actually starting to get curious about it for real.

"Hm? Oh! Right!" Freddie opened it back up and started to pull something out. "Now, this isn't a jigsaw puzzle, but I figured you might like it a bit better.." He explained as Sam watched him pull something big and rectangular out.

"Fredward Benson owns a PlayStation?" Sam asked curiously, watching him set the game console on top of the table.

"Why yes, he does." Freddie gave her a smile as he looked over at her. Sam once again bit the bottom of her lip to avoid chuckling at his rosy blush cheeks.

"S-so, um, how'd you get this thing past your mom's radar?"

"Didn't really have to." Freddie smiled. "When I begged her to get it for me..." He then paused a moment as Sam gave him a smirk. "Yes, I begged! Moving on." He glared at her.

"Continue." Sam nodded with a laugh. Freddie rolled his eyes.

"Anyways, when I finally convinced her to allow me to get it, I made sure I bought some pretty bad, educational games with it."

"_Please_ don't tell me you have a jigsaw puzzle game in there, or any other lame-o one." Sam moaned.

"Would you call this lame-o?" Freddie smirked as he pulled out a game. Sam looked at it for a moment and her eyebrows went up.

"Mortal Kombat? Why Fredweird! I never would have expected." Sam nodded approvingly. "It's almost as if you're a regular teenage b-b-boy." She started to stutter the last word as a few chuckles escaped her considering her friend was in the most girly state she's ever seen him. Freddie just took her laughs as part of the medication.

"I am a normal teenage boy! You're just too busy insulting me to start noticing."

"You're right, sorry.." Sam stuck out her bottom lip and pouted at him. "...ma'm."

"Ugh!" Freddie moaned, finally thinking that he was getting a good apology from Sam. Instead, she just started chuckling at him.

"Oh lighten up." She then playfully pushed his shoulder. "So...how did you get _this_ past your mom's radar? Surely she didn't believe it was educational?"

"I didn't even tell her about this one." Freddie smiled. "I have a bunch of secret things hidden from her that she doesn't know about." As soon as he finished that statement, Freddie realized the mistake he had made and what Sam was thinking. He watched as she opened her mouth and was about to speak. "Puckett! Not in the mood!" He exclaimed angrily, knowing she was going to get dirty with her jokes. Sam closed her mouth with a click and sighed.

_'Maybe I'm loosing my touch...'_ Sam thought, noticing that Freddie had been getting wiser to predicting her jokes. "I wasn't going to say anything like that." She replied in defense to make up for her predictability.

"Yes you were." Freddie crossed his arms and looked at her with 'the look'. Sam was starting to get ticked off by this look as it meant that he was winning.

"All I was going to say was that uh..." Sam paused for a moment as she stared into his eyes. "..I was going to say that every girl deserves a secret." And with that, her mouth curled upward as she started chuckling once more.

"Ugh!" Freddie moaned, not having been ready for another female joke. Sam seemed to be spewing off a lot of them and he had no clue why. With another soft groan, he watched as Sam finished laughing and put a hand against her stomach as she took a long deep breath.

"Whew.." She let out a soft sigh. He could tell she had over exerted herself as she was looking a bit more tired.

"Hey...you just wanna relax or something?" Freddie asked curiously, not wanting to tire her out as it was still obvious she was ill. Sam watched as he started to reach over for the PlayStation to put it back in the bag.

"Um, no, that's alright." Sam replied quickly. "I actually kinda want to play it." She gave him a light smile.

"Oh?" Freddie stopped putting the console away and looked at her. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I've never played Mortal Kombat before." She shrugged.

"What?! Really? It's been around for a while."

"I know, it's weird." Sam replied. "I mean, yeah, I've played Carly's video games like Guitar Hero, but I don't have a game system of my own so I'm pretty limited." She then paused for a moment. "And you know Carly would think Mortal Kombat was too icky." Sam and Freddie both laughed at this.

"Yeah, she wouldn't like the blood." Freddie chuckled, knowing his friend's squeamish tendencies. "But still, you don't have any game consoles at home?"

"Nope." Sam replied quietly, but paused for a moment. "Well, I _do_ have that old Atari system, but it's not that much fun."

"Too ancient huh?" Freddie laughed.

"No...too broken. My mom and I use it as one big coaster."

"Oh.." Freddie replied quietly. "You worry about water rings?" He gave her a half hearted smile, knowing that the Puckett's house decor was less than pristine.

"Yeah, kind of adds class to trash." Sam chuckled as Freddie smiled. "But that's the only game system I've ever had, well...other than my old game boy color. But I had to sell that thing for money a long time ago....so no games." Sam gave a small laugh.

"Well, you can always borrow my PlayStation if you want." Freddie gave her gentle smile. Sam looked up at him, but despite all the makeup, didn't feel like laughing at his expense.

"Sounds cool...thanks." Sam replied, appreciative of the offer.

"No problem." Freddie nodded with a smile.

* * *

**Figured this would be a cute Sam/Freddie scene, despite Freddie being covered in makeup haha. **

**Also, I apologize to everyone who was waiting with bated breath for Freddie's reaction to the prank, but I found it to be a lot more believable if Sam decided not to tell him about it and keep the gag running as long as she could. I also figured she would make sure Spencer avoided telling him as well. (And Spencer, being the lovable goofball that he is, would totally go along with it. xD)  
**


	82. Author's Note

**Sorry guys, this isn't a chapter, but for some reason, my computer isn't uploading documents properly to this site. The only way I was able to post this author's message was by directly typing it into document manager. (Luckily I had an old document in there I could edit for this haha). Anyways, when I copy and paste my chapters directly into document manager, it deletes all the italics for the character's thoughts and other things like bold and such, and I have no patience to go through everything again and fix it up.  
**

**So because I can't post the current chapters I've typed up on my computer in their proper form, I'm going to start posting the new updates on another site (At least until the glitch is fixed, then I'll come back and fix it up here. Hopefully the glitch ends quick! This site gets glitches all the time but luckily they disappear fast..)**

**But don't worry my faithful reviewers! I'll pm you the site link like I did with the exclusive chapter so you can keep on reading! I'm currently editing up the newest chapter and hope to have it readable by tomorrow. ;)**

**(Again, sorry for updating with just an author's note---as I hate when authors do that, and I'm guilty :(--- but I had to tell you guys what was up!)**

**PS- I'll also update this little author's note about when each chapter has been posted up in case the glitch lasts a few more days and I finish multiple chapters by then. That way you can check the site to read each new chapter after I PM you the initial site link. =)**

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**UPDATE: Chapter 82 is now up! (Well, the real one anyways lol..) As always, it includes some cute Sam/Freddie interaction! See what happens when they play a video game together. ;)**

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**UPDATE: Working on chapter 83! Hope to have it done soon. Still figuring out if I want Carly in it or not. :P**

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**UPDATE: Working on a few more chapters! Figuring out funny scenes and how to connect them together and stuff!**


	83. Math Tests and Video Games

**Ok, I decided to copy and paste this chapter into my document manager and fix things up in there. It was a bit annoying and time wasting, so I don't know if I will do the same thing with the next chapter or continue updating on the other site. Either way, I just hope the stupid glitch goes away for me. I don't know if it's the site, or my computer, but it's gotta stop eventually right? D=**

**Anyways, I have something to tell all of my frequent reviewers! When I pmed you guys the link to this chapter, I didn't include one of the scenes in there that I have in this one (mostly because I just wrote it out today lol!). Anyways, this chapter has one new scene that I added in that you guys need to read. I decided to add in a Carly at Ridgeway scene just to show what's going on with her while Sam and Freddie are playing games. So yeah, sorry about not including that in the original post, but I just thought up the idea today and quickly typed it in. :P Also, I tried to connect other scenes a bit better in this posting as opposed to the original one. Hope you guys like it better!**

* * *

"Well, you can always borrow my PlayStation if you want." Freddie gave her gentle smile. Sam looked up at him, but despite all the makeup, didn't feel like laughing at his expense this time.

"Sounds cool...thanks." Sam replied, appreciative of the offer.

"No problem." Freddie nodded with a smile. He then looked down at the game console on the table. "How about I hook this thing up?"

"Sure." Sam nodded her head as she watched the boy get up off the couch and pick up his game console to start plugging it in.

"So which game do you want to play first?" Freddie asked as he crouched on the ground and set the PlayStation down on the floor in front of the TV. He then turned back around towards his bag and started rifling through it. Sam watched as he pulled out another game box.

"Huh, you have more?"

"Well, only one. I looked through my games to see what you might like, and out of all of them I chose Mortal Kombat and.."

"Grand Theft Auto?" Sam looked at the title displayed on the box Freddie was holding up.

"Yup." He smiled. "In this game, you steal cars, beat people up for money, and evade the cops."

"For real?" Sam asked as Freddie nodded. The blond girl couldn't help but chuckle at this. "Sounds like they used my mom's life for reference."

"Yeah, I thought this game would have a plot you're familiar with." Freddie chuckled.

"Gee, I think I'd have to be insulted if that weren't true. Hand it over." Sam demanded as Freddie gave her the game and bent back down to hook up the PlayStation. With a sigh, Sam cracked open the clam shell case and pulled out the game manual. She started to read it until her stomach gurgled in the unpleasant way she had become familiar with. "Oh...dang.." Sam moaned under her breath as she placed a hand over her abdomen, knowing another trip to the bathroom was in order. The girl looked over at Freddie and saw that he was preoccupied with setting up the game to notice she was in any sort of discomfort. With an exasperated sigh, Sam bent forward and slowly stood up. As Freddie turned around to grab the controllers, he finally noticed that Sam was off the couch.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked curiously as his eyes trailed down and noticed she was holding her stomach with her right hand. "Are you ok?!" Freddie stood upright, instantly worried about her surgery wound.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine." Sam mumbled hastily, taking her hand off her stomach as she noticed that was the source of his concern.

"Is your stomach ok?"

"Uh.." Even though Sam had learned not to lie about any pain or discomfort, she figured that there'd be no penalty in lying about this one. "Yeah, it's alright. I just have to go upstairs."

"Upstairs? Why?" Freddie asked curiously. "I thought we were going to play a video game."

"We will...after I.." Sam glanced around the room for a moment and noticed her cell phone laying on the table. "After I text Carly about something." She hastily walked over and bent down to pick it up. She had to pause her quick movements though as she held her stomach and stood back up. The muscles in her abdomen were still pretty weak from the surgery, so bending up and down was a hassle.

Freddie just watched the girl curiously as she picked up her phone. "You have to go upstairs to do that?" He cocked an eyebrow of confusion.

"Yeah, it's a secret conversation." Sam glared at him, wishing he would stop grilling her so she could go to the bathroom.

"But even so, if you're texting, there's no way I would be able to see what you're..."

"Well bye!" And with that Sam ended the conversation herself and quickly limped away from him and over to the elevator before pressing the button. Freddie just stood by the couch as he watched Sam step in and disappear behind the door.

"Weird..." He mumbled to himself before looking over at his PlayStation console and continued to set it up.

* * *

After having gotten upstairs, Sam quickly walked into her best friend's room.

"Sorry Carls.." She stated apologetically as she threw her cell phone over to the bed. It landed with a small bounce in the middle of the purple comforter. Sam felt a bit guilty about using her friend as a distraction when she really had no intention of texting her. _'Eh, she's probably in math class by now anyway..' _Sam thought tiredly, dragging herself back over to the bathroom.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Ridgeway, Carly walked into math class and made her way over to her desk. As she set her bag on the floor and sat down in her seat, the minute bell rang, signaling class would start in a few short sixty seconds.

_'Alright, I can do this. I brushed up on the basics, studied a few examples, looked over my notes twice....' _The brunette girl paused for a moment as she stared at her blank desk. She then glanced around the room and saw a bunch of other kids hastily flipping through their notebooks to get one last minute of studying in. Some of the kids in the back were even taking pens to their skin as they wrote down a few cheat notes on their arms. Carly inwardly laughed at this, knowing that Sam would be sitting right alongside them if she were in this class.

"Maybe an extra bit of studying wouldn't hurt.." Carly said to herself quietly as she bent down and pulled out her red notebook from her bag. She then sat back up and set it down on her desk. After flipping through a couple of pages, she finally found the correct one and started to read.

Just then Mrs. Wilkins walked into the room and paused for a moment, surveying her classroom. She was a tall older woman with brown hair tightly wound up into a bun. The most noticeable thing about her other than her hard and uncomforting facial features, was the big mole on her upper lip. Just as the teacher opened her mouth to say something, the final bell rang. She instantly turned around and shut the classroom door....smack dab on Gibby's face as he was running to class and missed it by an inch.

"OW!" Gibby's voice squeaked pitifully behind the door. He rubbed his nose for a second before glancing through the small window at the teacher.

"You're late. To the principal's office." Mrs. Wilkins spoke to him through the door.

"Please let me in! I ran the whole way here."

"You know the rules Gibby. If you're not in class after the last bell, you're late."

"But I was only half a second lat-"

"TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE!" Mrs. Wilkins' voice boomed.

"Noodles!" Gibby yelled in frustration as he ran away from the door and down the hallway in shame. Once he was gone, Mrs. Wilkins turned around to face the class and noticed that her students were staring at her. She huffed at them and took a deep breath.

"Clear your desks!" Mrs. Wilkins stated sternly as she walked over towards her own. She was not one to be messed with and the kids quickly listened to her as they put their books away and rolled down their sleeves to cover up their cheat notes.

"Aw man.." Carly mumbled quietly, missing an opportunity to study. "Oh well." She sighed, closing her notebook and shuffling it under her seat.

"You all know the rules." Mrs. Wilkins murmured as she set her briefcase down on her desk and flipped it open. She then pulled out two big stacks of papers. "No talking once the test is out. And yes, there _are_ two different tests..." The teacher explained, walking over to a desk to hand out the papers. "...so that means you can't copy from the people sitting next to you.." Mrs. Wilkins then paused at a certain student's desk. "...David." She glared at a boy who just shrunk down in his seat in shame as she handed him his test. While Mrs. Wilkins continued to pass out the papers, Carly turned around and glanced at the back of the room as she heard a quiet chorus of mumbles and grunts come from around there. It was obvious that some of the kids in the back were planning on copying from their peers, and the teacher just ruined their plan.

"Ms. Shay!" Mrs. Wilkins called out as she stopped in front of Carly's desk and slammed the test down.

"Eep!" Carly jumped a bit, not having noticed her teacher was right there. She snapped her head back in front of her to see that the teacher was glaring down at her. "Y-yes?"

"I trust you will pay more attention to your test than the other students?"

"Yes m'am." Carly nodded quickly.

"Good. See to it that you do." And with that, Mrs. Wilkins continued on passing out the papers. Carly just grumbled as she picked up her pencil and began scratching down her name.

_'I hope Sam is having a better time than I am...'

* * *

_

Back at the apartment, Sam finished up in the bathroom and lazily walked out of the room and shut the light off. She glanced over at Carly's bed and tiredly made her way over to it to pick up her cell phone.

"Oh man.." The girl sighed, sitting down on the mattress for a moment of rest. Her bodily functions were going crazy on her because of all the medication and as a result of that, she was reminded of how cruddy she was feeling. Sam felt a bit cold, her stomach ached, her head hurt, and her limbs felt heavy. But as weird and yucky as she was feeling, the blond girl couldn't help but notice that whenever she was with Freddie, he seemed to take her mind off the funky sensations. "I've gotta be sick if I'm actually starting to enjoy hanging out with the nub.." Sam sighed. But despite whatever she said to try and convince herself that she disliked the boy, she knew in her heart that she _was_ enjoying Freddie's company. Sam shivered at this thought.

"Ah whatevs! I gotta stop thinking when I feel like butt. Messes with my mind." She sighed as she brought up her hands and slapped herself a few times on the cheeks. "Anyways..." The blond girl mumbled to herself, taking her mind off the situation. "Guess I better go back down." Sam then paused for a moment as she chuckled quietly. "I'm kind of interested in the Grand Theft Auto game.." She smirked as she looked over at the mattress and picked up her cell phone before sluggishly pulling herself off the bed. After pausing for a moment to let her body recover from the movement, Sam started to hobble to the door. Even though she was feeling a bit drained, Sam was pretty excited to play some video games....even with the dork.

* * *

The elevator let out a small ding as it landed on the living room floor. Freddie looked over from his position on the couch to see Sam step out. It had been quite some time since she left, and he was starting to get worried about her. Freddie watched as she limped across the room and made her way back over to the couch.

"Hey...you ok?" Freddie asked as she sat down next to him with a small wince, holding a hand over her stomach.

"Yeah." Sam sighed, feeling too tired to even laugh at the boy's face covered in makeup. She noticed that the small trip from Carly's room had made her felt even more sick, simply just from energy use. "Peachy."

Freddie cocked an eyebrow at her, wondering if she was being sarcastic or not. He noticed Sam was looking a bit more tired than when she left, so he didn't want to force her into playing video games if she wasn't up to it. With that thought, the boy bent down and picked up two of the wireless controllers he brought with him.

"I set up the game, you still interested in playing?"

Sam looked over at him and saw that he was holding one of the controllers out to her. She couldn't help but crack a small smile at this. Her excitement for the game instantly came back as she forgot about her sick feelings. "Yeah."

"Alright, cool." Freddie smiled, glad to see she perked up. "What game?"

"Grand Theft Auto."

* * *

Time had passed as the kids sat on the couch, facing the TV.

"I don't understand it.." Freddie stated in monotone as he stared at the screen with a blank gaze in his eyes.

"What?" Sam asked coolly, pressing a few buttons on her controller as she kept her eyes glued to the TV.

"How did you become....the most powerful crime boss of the entire city...without even getting past level one...?" Freddie continued to stare at the screen in disbelief.

"I dunno." Sam shrugged casually. "Life experience?" She then smiled as she pressed a button on the controller that gave the car on the screen some gas as it flew past the police. Even though she had helicopters and swat team vans following her, she was maneuvering her vehicle past them as if they were not even there.

"But Sam!" Freddie exclaimed wildly, looking at her in awe. "It's impossible to become the crime boss in the first level!"

"You're just mad because I'm better than you at this game." Sam chuckled as she kept her eyes on the screen. She couldn't help but smirk as she clipped the left side of a cop car with her own, making it fly and roll over a guardrail as her car stayed perfectly on the road.

"That's not what I meant!" Freddie huffed. "You can't become the crime boss in level one! It's impossible, even by the game's standards!"

"Pft, well I did." Sam sneered at him. "So complain to the game people, not me." She then smiled as she drove her car around the corner and parked in an alley way. She shut the lights off on the vehicle and watched as the cops flew past. After Sam made her character walk out of the car, she started to make him pace up and down the dark alley. "Gino better have those packages ready for me.." She mumbled angrily at her imaginary henchmen in the game. "...those shipments go out tonight." Sam shook her head as she continued to overrun the fake city with crime and degeneration.

Meanwhile, Freddie just continued to stare at her as he shook his head. _'Sam __**would**__ be the only person who can manage defeating a crime game in level one..'_

"That rat!" Sam growled out, making Freddie loose his train of thought.

"Huh?" The boy asked awkwardly, noticing that Sam was glaring at the screen.

"Gino was captured by the cops, and now all my stuff is in police custody!"

Even though it was just a game, Freddie was a bit nervous about the 'stuff' Sam was speaking of. "Um, can't you bail him out?" Freddie offered with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah I could...I mean, I have like five of my guys working as corrupt cops, but that takes too much time." Sam sighed, sitting back into the couch. She then broke her eyesight off of the screen to look at Freddie. "Let's play Mortal Kombat."

"Ok!" Freddie replied with a smile. _'At least I can beat her at that..'

* * *

_

More time had passed as the kids continued playing their game.

"Aw c'mon, no!" Freddie moaned, his thumbs tapping away furiously at his wireless controller. He watched in depression as his character on the screen was basically getting annihilated by Sam's. Despite how many combos and weapons he tried to flip through, Sam was beating the crap out of him. "C'mon, c'mon,c'mon.." Freddie grumbled, trying his best to get his character out of Sam's line of fire. Unfortunately, the boy was no match for her and his health went down drastically until the last sliver.

**"FINISH HIM." **The narrator's voice on the game boomed as Freddie's character just stood there dazed and confused.

"Don't mind if I do." Sam smiled as her character brought out a sword and gruesomely killed Freddie's character.

"Aww..." Freddie sighed as he watched his character fall to the ground.

**"SCORPION WINS!"**

"My man Scorpion." Sam beamed happily as her character did a victory pose. Freddie just looked over at her with an angry face.

"W-w-what?" Sam stuttered, trying her best not to laugh at the make up.

"I thought you said you never played this before!"

"I didn't!" Sam spat back in defense.

"But then how in the world did you pull off all those combos and junk?" Freddie asked bewildered.

"I dunno, I just press buttons and they work." Sam shrugged, looking back at the TV screen and pressing a few buttons to load up the next round.

"There's no way you just sat there pressing buttons! You had like six combos go off in a row!" Freddie exclaimed.

Sam just shrugged casually once more. "Fine, don't believe me. Whatev. That's just how I play." She murmured, looking back at the screen as the map finished loading.

"So you're saying if I press random buttons like a maniac with no rhyme or reason I'll win?"

"Maybe Fredwardo." Sam sighed, watching the countdown on the screen start the fight.

"Ok, let me try then." Freddie chuckled stupidly as he started pressing buttons like crazy on his controller, unaware that Sam had started another fight on the TV. As he pressed buttons like a five year old on a sugar rush, he glanced up at the screen and finally noticed his character had been jumping and flipping around wildly until his fighter finally put his hands together and shot a huge ice beam at Sam's, instantly freezing hers.

"HEY!" She cried in retaliation, not expecting that.

"Wow! It does work!" Freddie stared at the screen. He stopped his random button mashing and brought out a sword and slashed Sam's character so the ice broke and she fell on the ground. Sam just grumbled as she made her character stand back up. She then glanced over at Freddie and glared at him. "Hey.." Freddie smirked at her. "Looks like the fight's going to be a bit more interesting now."

And after that challenge was presented, both of the kids snapped their eyesight back to the TV screen and began pressing buttons like crazy in order to try and beat the other one up. If the characters on screen were alive, they would have suffered heart attacks by all the crazy flips and dashes their players were making them do.

* * *

**Figured this was a cute Sam and Freddie scene. Looks like Freddie's presence isn't completely useless after all! He's actually putting Sam in a better mood. Who would've thunk it? xD**

**Also, one last side note: Again, I don't know if I will continue updating here or on the other site if the glitch doesn't stop. I'm still working on the other chapters and will try to get the next one ready for reading soon. =)**


	84. Trickery

"Hey.." Freddie smirked at her. "Looks like the fight's going to be a bit more interesting now."

And after that challenge was presented, both of the kids snapped their eyesight back to the TV screen and began pressing buttons like crazy in order to try and beat the other one up. If the characters on screen were alive, they would have suffered heart attacks by all the crazy flips and dashes their players were making them do.

* * *

Time had gotten away from the kids as they sat on the couch and continued to play Mortal Kombat. What had been almost an hour seemed like minutes to them as they kept their eyesight glued to the screen. Surprisingly enough, the score count was equal. The current round was the tiebreaker game that would bestow bragging rights upon someone for the duration of a month. Maybe a year if the winner happened to be Sam.

"Heh." Freddie smirked as he managed to knock Sam's character down for the 4th time in a row during this round.

Sam just stayed quiet as her thumbs tapped along the buttons furiously, trying her best to break Freddie's line of defense. She was so focused on beating the boy that she had ignored the increasingly sick sensations she was feeling. At this point, her head was hurting with each of her excited heartbeats, and the room felt a bit cold. Also, her thumbs and arms were pretty sore from the game, but there was no way she was going to back down. Unfortunately Freddie managed to knock her character down for a 5th time, bringing her health dangerously low in an ironic twist of fate.

"Oh ho ho, this may be it Puckett!" Freddie laughed out loud, keeping his eyes at the screen. He could not believe that he was so close to beating Sam's score, although he couldn't help but notice that Sam didn't seem to be on her game this round. She was making a lot of easy mistakes and leaving many openings, but either way, he was going to take advantage of them since the girl rarely left any.

Meanwhile, Sam, not one to give up so easily, made her character stand back up and tried her best to pull of a combo...any combo. But as the girl started tapping along the buttons on the controller, she realized she was loosing a lot of strength and hand eye coordination for the game. Her illness was getting harder and harder to ignore, and soon enough, the blond girl realized she was basically at her end point. The strength was draining from her thumbs and she couldn't keep up with Freddie's defense anymore. Sam knew she was going to loose the game until...

"C'mon doofbutt! You can't beat me!" Sam exclaimed as she reached over and playfully pushed his shoulder, breaking his concentration.

"HEY!" Freddie cried out quickly. He then turned around to Sam and gently pushed her back by instinct.

_'Perfect.' _Sam thought slyly, knowing he was going to retaliate to her shove with one of his own. And as soon as the boy's hand made contact with her shoulder in the lightest and gentlest way, Sam took a deep breath and hollered. "OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

"WHAT?" Freddie's eyes widened as he watched Sam drop the controller from her hands. The device hit the floor with a thud as the girl wrapped her arms around her stomach and over her surgery wound. Freddie's eyes widened as he watched her curl up into pain and lay down against the couch, shaking in discomfort. He quickly jumped off the couch, dropping his own controller in his haste. "OH MY GOD SAM! DID I HURT YOU? ARE YOU OK?" As Freddie stood there, worriedly staring at his friend in pain, he knew they needed help. "SPENCER!" The boy hollered towards the hallway. As Freddie did this, Sam cracked open one of her eyes, slowly reached down to the floor, and picked her controller back up. She then quickly tapped along the buttons and watched as her character started massacring Freddie's in a brutal beat down of hits. The poor defenseless character's health started going down drastically, transforming his health bar from a nice long green one, to a blinking short red one.

By this time, Freddie had turned back around towards his supposedly 'ailing' friend to see if she was alright. "Sam?! Are you ok?" His face was full of concern until he noticed what she was doing. "Huh, wait, what are you...?" His eyes then widened in horror as he realized what was happening. As if everything suddenly started going in slow motion, Freddie turned his eyesight back to the TV screen and watched as Sam's character brought up a sword and slashed his own, instantly defeating him with a death blow. "NO!" Freddie cried out as he fell to his knees, realizing he had just been fooled in the worst way.

During this realization, Spencer bolted out of his room and stopped in the living room. "What's wrong?!" He asked worriedly, having heard Freddie's scream. At this point Sam was sitting upright on the couch with a big smile on her face as she looked over the back of the couch.

"Oh, nothing." Sam gave him a small innocent smile. "Freddie just lost the game so he's whining about it."

Meanwhile, Freddie was just sitting on the floor on his knees as he continued to stare at the screen with a blank and defeated look.

"Well geeze. No need to holler!" Spencer exclaimed as he trotted over and sat down on the chair next to the right side of the couch.

"Yeah, how rude." Sam added smugly.

"But Sam!" Freddie stood up and turned back around to face her. "I was going to win, that's not fair!"

"Whoa, take it easy Freddo. It's just a game!" Spencer chuckled lightly.

"Yeah Fredweird. It's _just _a game." Sam gave him a sly smirk. He just stared back at her incredulously.

"But you...with the shove, and your stomach.....and the..." He looked back and forth between Sam and Spencer's faces before frowning, knowing that he was fighting a loosing battle...for real this time. "Ah whatever! You win. Congrats. Woohoo. I need a drink." And with that Freddie walked away in a big slump of defeat.

"Wanna bring back the winner a water bottle?" Sam called over to the boy now entering the kitchen.

"Hahaha you're so funny." Freddie spat back sarcastically as he opened up the fridge and peered in.

Meanwhile, Spencer just sat in his seat and listened to the kids talk with a small chuckle. As they continued with their banter, he looked over at the time on the VCR and realized Sam had twenty minutes or so until she had to take her next pill.

_'Well, I went to the pharmacy and switched her Vicodin for a new prescription so hopefully that works.' _Spencer thought to himself as he turned around and looked at the little white bag sitting on top of the counter.

* * *

**So now we know where Spencer went when he left the apartment back in chapter 79! If anyone noticed, after he came back in chapter 81 he placed the small white bag with the pill bottle on the counter before talking to the kids.**** (Yes, I do plan future details that far back in the story haha.**** I still have an idea I'm planning to use from one of the scenes when the gang was back at the hospital lol.)**

**Anyways... short chapter I know, and I'm very sorry about the length, but I'm still working on the details for the other stuff and it's taking a bit of time to research. (Like what pill Spencer could have switched to and stuff....)**

**Also, I haven't updated in a while, so I just wanted to give you guys some more material to read, even if it was short. =/ Still, I enjoyed writing this scene a lot! I love Sam and Freddie interactions such as this. xD**


	85. Taking a Break

After finishing her banter with Freddie, Sam turned her attention back to the TV screen and sighed. All of the excitement had thoroughly worn her out. Also, now that her attention was off the game, Sam was much more aware of her sickness and felt a bit depressed from coming off the rush she was on when playing against Freddie. Because the adrenaline was gone from her body, her limbs felt extremely weak and heavy, as well as her head which hurt with each beat of her heart. It didn't really help that her heartbeat was up a few seconds due to the excitement of playing the game too. And the girl's thumbs were practically dead and numb at this point from the excessive tapping of the controller. Plus, as if it were the icing on the cake, Sam couldn't help but notice that her surgery wound hurt a bit more. But at least it wasn't anything to be too concerned about, just some minor discomfort. With another dragged out sigh, Sam's eyes lazily grazed down to the floor. _'I wonder if this is what it's like to feel old.'_ She tiredly chuckled in her head, noticing that her body felt like it was coming apart. She was not looking forward to aging if that were the case.

Meanwhile, Spencer was still sitting in his chair next to the side of the couch and heard Sam let off a few sighs. He looked over at her and noticed that her face seemed to have been stripped of the happy demeanor she previously had. He cocked an eyebrow at this, slowly glancing back and forth between Sam on the couch and Freddie in the kitchen. Sam's expression was usually the reverse when the boy left the room, but Spencer saw that when their banter stopped, Sam looked a bit depressed, and sick.

"You ok?" Spencer asked gently as he sat forward in his seat.

"Huh?" Sam looked up from the floor.

"You look a bit....tired."

"Yeah, I am, a bit. No big thing though." Sam gave him a small smile as Freddie walked back in from the kitchen and made his way over to his seat on the couch, next to Sam's left.

"Here you go, cheater." Freddie squinted his eyes in a playful glare as he handed Sam a glass of water with a straw sticking out the top.

"Thanks, loser." Sam smirked back, taking the glass from him and sipping the straw.

Spencer just looked at the two kids, watching Sam's dull expression instantly came back to life as soon as Freddie returned. It was obvious that there was some sort of connection between the boy's presence with her attitude, although Spencer never would have guessed in a million years it would be a positive one.

"Oh, a loser am I?" Freddie's eyebrows went up as he set his own drink on top of the table and picked his controller back up from the floor. "How about we try playing a _fair_ game this time."

Sam glanced at him for a moment, looking at his eyes before looking over at the controller in his hand as she took a sip from her water once more to drag out her response. She barely had enough strength to move her thumbs, and she wasn't quite sure if she could continue playing games. Also, her head felt like it might split with the additional stress, while the room felt a bit cold. Sam just really wanted to curl up on the couch....to the best of her ability with the wound of course. After deciding that she was pretty much done with the game due to not feeling the best, Sam decided to reply in a normal tone that didn't show a sign of weakness. "Pft. I don't need to play you again. I already won."

"By cheating!" Freddie exclaimed.

"Some call it cheating. I call it a preemptive strike." Sam laughed. Freddie looked back at her, obviously surprised at her response.

"Didn't know you knew vocab like that."

Sam just shrugged casually. "Sometimes I don't fall asleep right away in class."

Freddie couldn't help but chuckle at this. "I guess that's true. So anyways, you wanna play another round?" He offered once more, in a less accusing manner.

But before Sam could answer, Spencer cut in. "Hey Freddo...mind if I take a crack at it?" The man asked, sitting forward in his seat. During the kids' conversation, he realized that Sam was obviously not up to another game, but was hesitating for some reason to outright tell Freddie about it. He figured it was just her stubborn attitude about not looking weak in front of the boy, so Spencer decided to help her out a bit, especially since Freddie wasn't getting the message.

"Yeah sure." Freddie laughed, reaching over the table to pick up Sam's controller. He then stood up a bit and tossed it over to Spencer. As the man fumbled with the contraption, Freddie sat back down and smirked at Sam. "Maybe now I'll have a fair fight."

"Whatev." Sam rolled her eyes, but smiled once Freddie looked back over at the TV to set up another game. Meanwhile, during this, Spencer and Sam looked at each other for a brief second, and he flashed her a kind smile. Sam knew that he got her off the hook for the game and gave him a small nod of the head, showing him a silent thanks. And with that, Spencer looked back over at the TV screen as a new game loaded up. Soon enough the TV screen displayed two characters facing each other as a countdown from three started.

**"3"**

Spencer's eyes widened as he realized something important."Wait a second....!" He cried out hastily.

**"2"**

"....I don't know how to play this!"

**"1! BEGIN FIGHT!"**

"Let the slaughter begin!" Freddie chuckled maliciously as he started beating down Spencer's character.

"I thought you said this would be a fair fight!" The man exclaimed, pressing buttons like crazy to stop Freddie's assault.

Sam just chuckled to herself quietly as she watched Spencer's character start running around the fight map in circles trying to get away from Freddie's character. Spencer _would _be the only person who could turn a bloody beat down game such as Mortal Kombat into a preschool version of chase.

* * *

Ten minutes passed as the guys continued playing the game. Unsurprisingly, Freddie has won all the rounds up this point, but at least Spencer was starting to get the gist of it as he fired a combo at Freddie's character.

"Man, this game is gruesome." Spencer murmured, watching specks of blood fly off of Freddie's character. "Your mom let you buy this?!"

"Nope." Freddie replied, keeping his eyes glued to the screen.

"Awesome." And with that the two guys kept beating each other down.

Meanwhile, Sam had turned around on the couch so she was laying down on her back. Because Freddie was on the other end of it, she let one of her legs lazily hang off the edge while the other was crossed over the middle cushion. The position was comfortable as she continued to watch the game with her head turned towards the TV screen against the pillow. Although, she still couldn't help but notice the dull throb in her stomach. It wasn't bad, but it didn't feel too good. Either way, Sam just brushed it off as she continued to watch the massacre on TV. After watching a few more seconds of it, she heard a small buzzing sound and looked down to see her cell phone on the table vibrating. The guys were too preoccupied to notice this as they kept playing.

"Oh." She stated quietly, weakly propping herself up on her elbows and straining over the table to reach it. Her stomach was very sore and weak that the movement was incredibly tiring. Once she sat back into place into the couch, she had to pause for a moment and take a few deep breaths.

_'Man, I am so beat.'_ She thought lazily, opening her cell phone. But as soon as she saw a text from her best friend, she instantly perked up from the sleepy haze. After clicking the accept button, Sam eyes scanned the message.

**Hey Sam! wonderin how u r doin! finished my math test, n I think I did ok!**

Sam smiled at this, feeling a bit of relief for her friend, and started tapping a message in slowly because of her weak thumbs.

* * *

Back at Ridgeway, Carly was now in gym class, outside running around the track. Well, not really running, but more like walking and texting. Gym class was pretty much a joke at Ridgeway considering most of the gym teachers hired were much fatter than the students themselves and could barely run a lap, let alone walk it. Carly's gym teacher was Mr. Davis, and he was a pretty fat one himself. The guy had messy brown hair, a red pudgy face, and a wheezing cough which made it sound like he could have a heart attack at any given moment. Whenever he brought his class outside and over to the track, he always just told the kids to run and then sat down on the bleachers and took out a jelly donut from his brown paper bag of snacks he always had with him. Yup. Gym class was a joke.

Carly continued to walk along the track as her phone vibrated a new message. She smiled as she flipped it open to see a text from Sam.

**Im doin good. beat freddie up in some video games haha. kinda felt good since i dont hav the strength to do in real life yet. ;)**

Carly paused at this and laughed. She could just imagine what was going on at her apartment. She then looked back down at her phone and continued reading.

**Im glad u think u did ok on ur test. despite wat i think of skool, i did feel bad about ur grades n stuff.**

The brunette girl smiled at the fact that her friend has some respect for her schoolwork. She only wished Sam had a bit for herself. And with that Carly started texting a new message.

* * *

Sam sat on the couch, lazily waiting for a response. Soon enough it came and she opened her phone to read it.

**Thanks! i appreciate it! and congrats on beating freddie up virtually lol. so how u feelin? any better?**

The blond girl paused for a moment, thinking about the question. While her mind felt better, her body was obviously unwell, considering all the crap she was feeling right now. But it still wasn't that bad, even the surgery wound. And with that, Sam texted back a reply.

* * *

Carly continued to walk down the track. A few kids ran past her and she recognized them from the track team. They were the only ones serious about this class as every other student was walking slowly as they chatted with their friends. Heck, some kids even just stopped and sat down in the middle of the track. Every once in a while the teacher would yell at them from the bleachers to get up and keep walking, but everyone knew these threats would not be backed up with action. Mr. Davis was too lazy to bother walking over there, so the kids knew they could stay sitting. It was all a very lazy atmosphere, one Carly did not mind about for once. With a small sigh, she continued to walk the pointless path as she felt her phone buzz in her hand. She flipped it open and read the new text.

**Im feeling ok. im just really tired at this point, and i have a headache, but im not all pukey. in fact, i think im hungry.... wow, i really am hungry! geeze, i need to eat something! got any ham?**

Carly couldn't help but laugh at this. It really seemed Sam was easing back into her personality. It was obvious there were some after effects from the surgery, but Carly was glad to hear her friend had an appetite. She started tapping out a new message as the teacher blew his whistle, signaling that gym class was over.

* * *

Sam continued to lay down on the couch as she stared up at the ceiling. The guys were still playing their game as they continued beating each other up and Sam just sighed as she listened to the clicking of various buttons and playful insults Spencer and Freddie were tossing at each other. Up until now, she hadn't realized how hungry she was. The last thing she ate was pineapple pizza a few hours ago, and while that didn't end too well, she wasn't nauseous anymore.

_'Maybe the Vicodin is out of my system?'_ Sam thought lazily, looking over at the clock on the TV to see that the time read 11:57 am. _'Yeah, it's supposed to run out at 12.'_ Sam sighed as she looked back up. The blond girl quickly realized that's why her stomach must have been hurting more. Still, as she concluded before, the pain wasn't harsh enough to have her doubling over in extreme pain. It was just a twinge of discomfort, and Sam was hopeful that she wouldn't have to take another pill. As she continued to think, her phone vibrated, signaling she had another new message. She flipped it open and started to read.

**Uh oh, ur appetite is back? I better warn Spence 2 lock up the fridge!**

_'Hey!'_ Sam thought in defense jokingly. She then continued to read.

**jk with you. ;) anyways, no we dont hav any ham. u ate all of our leftovers from last week, remember?**

Sam couldn't help but smile sheepishly at this. _'Oh yeah..' _She laughed nervously as she finished reading the message.

**ask Spencer for food. he'll whip u up something good! and sorry, but i gotta go! gym class is ending and i need 2 go change!**

Sam just smiled at this. Carly was right, so she decided she would ask Spencer for some food a bit later when she wasn't so weak feeling. And with that last thought, Sam texted out one more response.

* * *

As Carly walked back down to the school from the track with her class, she opened up her phone as she received another message from Sam.

**oh ok, c ya later! stay brune. :)**

Carly smiled and quickly typed out another message.

* * *

Sam was holding her cell phone and wasn't expecting another response, so she was surprised when it vibrated one last time. She opened it up and couldn't help but chuckle.

**Stay blonde. ;)**

Sam just laughed and closed up her cell phone with a click. Talking to Carly put her in a better mood, just like playing the video games with Freddie. As she slowly reached over to put her phone back on the table, she couldn't help but wince a bit as she held her stomach.

"Ow..." Sam muttered quietly. _'Kinda hurts more..' _The blond girl thought as she slowly eased her body back onto the couch and closed her eyes.

Meanwhile during this, Spencer and Freddie had their eyes glued to the TV when the boy finally brought out a sword and killed Spencer for the umpteenth time.

"Aw man!" Spencer cried out in frustration. "I didn't win once!"

"Well you _were_ getting a bit better." Freddie replied.

"Really?" Spencer perked up.

"Yeah, I think you got two punches in that last round. Maybe three." Freddie started laughing.

"Ha. Ha." Spencer stated sarcastically in a joking tone. Just then a small beep came from his watch, catching both of the guys' attention. "Huh?" He looked down at it to see that the time was now 12 pm.

"What's that?" Freddie asked curiously. He watched as Spencer looked at him with a softer facial expression before the man glanced over towards Sam. Freddie followed his eye sight and saw that she was laying on the couch with her eyes closed.

"Hey Sam? You awake?" Spencer asked gently.

"Huh?" She cracked her eyes open slowly and looked up at him.

"It's 12."

"Again, huh?" Sam thought tiredly, not putting two and two together.

"We have that compromise, remember?"

* * *

**Alright, so next chapter we see if Sam can hold out on the painkillers or not. (That was their compromise from chapter 77 when Sam practically begged Spencer to help her get off the Vicodin.) What will happen if they try and delay the pills? :o**

**Also, I know this chapter was a bit lifeless (It was just a kind of a connecting point from one part of the story to the next) but do not fret!**

**I have some really funny scenes coming up in the future (as well as some more good friendship ones!). I wrote them out like a week ago, but I still haven't gotten up to that point in the story yet! So don't worry, the story won't be going downhill with boring connecting scenes all the time haha. Still, hoped you enjoyed this chapter despite the fact. xP  
**


	86. Feelings

"Hey Sam? You awake?" Spencer asked gently.

"Huh?" She cracked her eyes open slowly and looked up at him.

"It's 12."

"Again, huh?" Sam thought tiredly, not putting two and two together.

"We have that compromise, remember?"

"Where I don't take my painkillers?"

"Mhm." Spencer nodded as he noticed the girl perked up a bit at hearing this. "But don't you forget about our deal." He pointed his finger at her in an accusing yet joking way.

"Yeah.." She let out a deep sigh. "If it hurts, I'm back on the Vicodin." She looked down dejectedly, hating the fact that could be an outcome.

"Correction! Percocet!" Spencer smiled.

"Huh?" Sam looked up curiously as well as Freddie. "Percocet?"

"It's a different type of painkiller. I called up the doctor about your situation and he recommended it as an alternative to the Vicodin. I got the new prescription filled when I went out to the pharmacy earlier."

"Seriously?" Sam asked, feeling a bit of hope rise up in her chest from learning of this new detail.

"Mhm." Spencer smiled at her. "You were slugging around here all depressed and mopey, that I just had to help out my favorite little Sam."

Sam just shook her head and smiled. "Thanks Spence, really." She replied, extremely grateful for his support. Now the idea of going back on the painkillers wasn't as frightening. Of course, she wasn't sure how she would take the Percocet either, but at least it was a new chance.

"No problem." He smiled back at her before taking a deep breath. "Alright now!" Spencer clapped his hands together loudly as he sat back into his seat. "How about we just relax and watch some TV?" He offered to the kids, knowing that Sam may be in for a bit of a rough time. He wanted things to stay as calm as possible for her, and video games were a no-go.

"Sounds good." Freddie nodded in agreement with Spencer's plan as he reached over and picked up the remote to the TV. He clicked the settings off of the game and switched it back over to cable.

"Ok, but if we're watching TV like this.." Sam started to say to Freddie as the guys looked at her curiously. "I'm using you as a foot rest." She stated firmly, placing her feet over top of boy's lap. Freddie just chuckled at this.

"Don't worry, I've gotten used to being your foot rest." And with that, Freddie held up the remote and switched the TV channel over to the guide and the gang watched as various show titles scrolled up.

* * *

Eventually the group found something to watch, and ten minutes had passed since they delayed Sam's dose. Fortunately for her, she wasn't feeling anything too bad at this point. While it was true her stomach was still aching a bit, it was nothing she couldn't handle.

_'Alright, I can do this.'_ Sam thought, shifting her eyes from the TV screen to stare up at the ceiling. She then lazily put an arm over her face as she let the right one hang off the couch, her fingers gently scraping along the edge of the floor. She stayed like this for a few minutes until she felt something swat at her hand that was by the floor, catching her off guard.

"Hey!" Sam jumped a bit, retracting her hand back up.

"What's wrong?!" Spencer instantly sprang up from his seat as Freddie looked over at his friend in worry as he felt her legs jump in his lap.

"I...don't know." Sam answered awkwardly as she strained her neck to look over the side of the couch. Sure enough she saw a big fat gray paw sticking out from underneath. With a small laugh, Sam just rolled her eyes. "Nevermind, it's nothing."

"You sure?" Spencer asked cautiously as he sat back down in his seat. His heart was still beating from her small outburst.

"Yeah, I just found Frothy." Sam chuckled, reaching her hand back over the edge of the couch and giving a small tap against her pet's paw. The furry limb instantly disappeared back under the couch, before a fat head poked out. Frothy craned his neck and looked up at his owner.

"Mrow?"

"Mrow to you." Sam laughed, gently reaching down and scratching the cat's ears. Frothy just shut his eyes and started to purr, enjoying the feeling of Sam's nails against his furry skin.

"I swear, you need to buy that cat a collar with bells on it!" Spencer just shook his head as the kids laughed.

Eventually the excitement died down, and the gang continued to watch TV as Frothy stayed comfortably under the couch.

* * *

More time had passed as Sam continued to lay on her back over the left side of the couch as Freddie sat upright on the right. Spencer also remained dutifully in his chair as the gang sat in silence, watching TV. To anyone out of the loop, they would have just looked like three friends watching TV together, but each had an important job. Spencer and Freddie had to make sure Sam was alright, while Sam herself had to make sure not to lie. Each continued to stare at the TV screen with their respective tasks in their minds. At this point, twenty five minutes had passed as the program they chose to watch was almost over. This meant that Sam had been going cold turkey without her pills for almost a half an hour, and so far she hadn't complained to the guys.

"How you doin?" Spencer's voice asked as the credits of their show started to scroll up. Sam looked over at him and sighed.

"Ok, my stomach kinda hurts and stuff, but it's not too bad." She replied truthfully. While it was obvious that the pangs of discomfort from an hour ago had become more intense, they still weren't enough to make the girl feel like she was at her breaking point.

"Remember, you have to add in the time it takes for the pills to kick in too so if you're hurting now, it could get worse." Spencer looked at her with a very serious face.

"Thank you Dr. Shay." Sam rolled her eyes playfully and chuckled at how mature he was being. It was so un-Spencer like.

"Hey kiddo, it's for your health, don't laugh at me." Spencer smiled in response, knowing that he was acting like a stuffy old parent. Still, that was what Sam needed sometimes, and this was definitely one of those times. "So.." Spencer then took a deep breath as the humor died down. "Do you want me to get the pills?" He asked softly, resuming his parental role.

"No." The blond girl shook her head as she looked back at him. "I'm alright, really. Just feels like I got punched in the stomach. It's nothing too bad. Honest."

Spencer just stared at her for a moment, before taking a sigh. "Alright, I'm taking your word for it." He then sat back into his seat as they continued to watch the TV.

* * *

Surprisingly, another half hour went by, making the total time that Sam had skipped her painkillers one full hour. Both Freddie and Spencer were pretty stunned at this point, but nonetheless, they felt that Sam would have told them the truth by now if she was really in a lot of pain. And by the looks of it, the girl seemed to be fine as she relaxed on the couch laying on her back.

_'Maybe she doesn't have to take the pills anymore.'_ Freddie thought hopefully. But as soon as he finished these thoughts, Sam's voice broke the silence.

"S-spencer?" She asked weakly.

"Huh? What's up?" Spencer asked as he sat forward in his chair and looked over at her. Freddie had also perked up, worrying about what his friend might have to say.

"Could you get me a..."

"Pill?" Spencer added gently.

"No." Sam shook her head. "C-could you get me a blanket? I'm sorta cold..." As soon as she finished, the guys just stared at her for a moment.

"Oh." Spencer couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, no problem." He chuckled, not expecting such a simple request. And with that, he hoisted himself off of his seat and walked across the living room and disappeared into the hallway.

As Spencer left to get the blanket, Sam made a move to sit up and get ready for it. But as soon as she propped herself up on her elbows and scooted up, her stomach twisted in the most uncomfortable way. Her eyes widened as a jolt of sore pain shot up her abdomen, making her chilly feelings become replaced by those of intense heat. Sam couldn't help but mentally curse as she felt that awful yet familiar feeling of imaginary lava seeping through her incision.

_'Still, it's not as bad as before when I spit out the pill.'_ Sam noticed cautiously, shutting her eyes and clenching her teeth_. 'But...it kind of hurts to breathe..'_ She thought, seeing that with each breath, the muscles in her stomach would move a bit, making her feel as though a piece of glass was scraping against her insides in the slightest way. She realized that this newly found pain was a result of moving her body on the couch as it wasn't hurting this bad when she was laying down, so there could have been a possibility of the pain dying down if she just stayed still.

Still, it was just unfortunate that the feeling was a bit sickening and at this point, Sam wasn't sure if the pain was going to get worse or not. Right now she could handle it, but if it got worse, she wasn't so sure if she could deal. With a deep sigh, Sam grit her teeth and opened her eyes, knowing that chancing it would not be a good choice, and would only make Spencer mad if she avoided telling him the truth. With that thought, Sam looked over at the boy under her feet and saw that he was still watching the TV. She casually moved her foot over and tapped him in the stomach to get his attention.

"F-Fr-reddie." Sam croaked out. The pain was so disgusting that she didn't even care about asking him for help.

"Huh, yeah?" Freddie looked over at her to see that she had her eyes closed as she held a hand over her stomach.

"I t-think, I n-need.." Sam paused for a moment, opening up her eyes weakly. He could see that she was struggling.

"..the pills?" Freddie asked softly, noticing she looked like she wasn't feeling well. Sam just nodded her head in response, not wanting to talk or move anymore. "Alright, don't worry! We got it!" Freddie replied reassuringly as Spencer walked back into the room with a red blanket draped over his arms. "Hey Spencer?" Freddie asked as the man walked over.

"What's up?" He asked cheerfully.

"Sam needs her pills now. She's not feeling too well."

"Oh, really?" Spencer's eyebrows went up in concern as he looked over at her.

"Yeah, the p-pain hurts b-bit." Sam sighed, struggling with talking and breathing at the same time. "I mean, if I was asleep and w-wasn't moving, it w-wouldn't be so bad but..."

"Hey! No explanation needed Sam! I'm just glad you told us what was up. Now you hang tight while I get the stuff!" Spencer exclaimed as he practically shoved the blanket into Freddie's face, making the boy cough and sputter, before running into the kitchen to retrieve a pill and bottle of fresh water for his patient. Sam just mentally chuckled as she watched her 'guardian' run around the kitchen grabbing the supplies for her. How Spencer managed to keep his goofy flair while caring for her was a mystery, but either way, she appreciated him for it.

During this, Freddie pulled the blanket from his face that Spencer so nicely tossed at him, and gently placed it over his knee before focusing his attention back on the girl.

"Hey Sam?" he asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"You're going to have to swallow the pill and drink some water so it'd be best if you sit up a bit." Freddie stated softly.

"Ugh.." Sam let off a tired moan, not wanting to move. _'Trying to sit up is what got me into this mess in the first place.'_

"Here, splint your stomach with this." Freddie turned around in his seat and pulled out the pillow that was wedged between his leg and the couch. He then handed it over to Sam, who placed it on her stomach and applied some pressure to it, as she was taught to do yesterday. Freddie watched as she closed her eyes and took a few sort breaths to get ready to move.

"Need help?" Freddie offered, holding out his hand. Sam just opened her eyes and glared at him, swatting it away with her own. There was a limit to looking weak in front of the boy, and this was it.

"No." She grumbled, struggling to pull herself up. Freddie saw that as soon as she made the tiniest motion to sit up, she instantly lost strength and fell back into the couch, sucking a hiss of air between her teeth. As she opened her eyes back up, she saw Freddie looking back at her with his eyebrows lifted up in concern. Sam had to stop herself from chuckling, because even though her friend was being nice, any facial expression he made in the make up was just so humorous. With another deep sigh to clear her head, Sam's eyes trailed down from his face and noticed that the boy was once again holding his hand out to her, not saying a word.

"Darn it." Sam mumbled quietly, reaching over and grabbing Freddie's hand. _'At least he's not making jokes..'_ She thought gratefully. And with that, Freddie stayed quiet as he held onto Sam's hand and gave her some leverage to pull herself up. As the sick girl moved, he couldn't help but notice that her arm was shaky and her hand felt clammy.

Finally once Sam was upright, she slowly yet painfully shuffled her legs off of the couch and put her feet to the floor. With a small sigh and grimace, she sat forward, hunching over as her arms grasped the pillow firmly against her stomach.

_'Man, I'm so beat.'_ Sam thought tiredly. _'The doctor told me to limit the amount of time I spend in bed each day so I could move around, but I think I may have overdone it with the games.'_ She thought weakly.

Meanwhile, as Sam continued to sit hunched over, Freddie noticed she had been shaking a bit. _'It might be the pain..' _He thought for a moment, furrowing his eyebrows._ '..but she did say she was cold before this.' _His eyes trailed down to the blanket on his knee before he looked back up at her. "Hey Sam?" He asked as he picked up the blanket from his knee and unfolded it.

"What?" She moaned, not bothering to look up at him.

"Here." Freddie reached over and gently wrapped it around her shoulders. Once she felt the weight of the soft fabric on top of her, she looked up at her friend and watched as he finished settling it against her back. "Thought you might want it on." He gave her a nervous chuckle as he pulled his hands away from her, noticing she was staring at him awkwardly. Freddie wasn't sure if he passed a boundary or not by touching her shoulders, but either way, the look she was giving him made him think he did. Just as he was about to apologize, Sam cut him off.

"Uh, thanks." She replied quietly, looking back down to the floor. The blanket did feel pretty good.

"Oh!....you're welcome." Freddie replied in surprise.

Meanwhile, Sam just continued to stare at her feet, patiently keeping the pillow over her stomach for support. _'Why does that boy have to be so confusing!' _She yelled to herself in her head, temporarily forgetting about her pained situation. _'When Fredwad's not talking about computer junk, he's not.....that bad of a person.' _Sam's eyebrows furrowed at this thought. She knew she was praising the boy too much today, and it was starting to grate on her nerves. This was someone she was supposed to hate, but she was starting to realize that at this point, how could she? Especially when he was doing all this nice stuff for her. _'ARG! This is Freddie I'm talking...er thinking about! That stupid dorky computer loving nub.' _Soon enough, Sam was unintentionally getting angry at Freddie for being too nice and confusing for her, but before her unjustified thoughts could morph into potentially dangerous actions, Spencer came back in from the kitchen and broke her out of her concentration, much to Freddie's luck.

"Um Sam?" Spencer asked, having watched the girl look down at the floor in a face that resembled confusion and nausea.

"Huh?" She asked weakly, looking up at him.

"Are you going to be sick?" He asked hesitantly.

"I think so." She murmured, referring to her thoughts about Freddie.

"Oh! Ok then! Garbage can, garbage can.." Spencer hummed to himself quickly as he looked around.

"No wait! Nevermind!" Sam quickly added, stopping Spencer in his tracks. "Not what I meant, I mean..." She then trailed off. "I don't know what I mean." She let out a defeated sigh, pushing her Freddie thoughts to the side. "Can I have my pill?"

* * *

**Ok, so it looks as though Sam couldn't stay off the pills for too long. :( But at least the gang knows she can deal with an extra hour before having to take another dose! **

**Also, it seems as though our little blond headed demon is starting to get quite confused about Freddie. ;) Maybe she's starting to realize some of the mistakes she's made by berating him for all of these years?**

**Next chapter: Sam on Percocet! How will she do with the new pill? Stay tuned.. xP  
**


	87. Chatterbox

"Are you going to be sick?" Spencer asked hesitantly.

"I think so." She murmured, referring to her thoughts about Freddie.

"Oh! Ok then! Garbage can, garbage can.." Spencer hummed to himself quickly as he looked around.

"No wait! Nevermind!" Sam quickly added, stopping Spencer in his tracks. "Not what I meant, I mean..." She then trailed off. "I don't know what I mean." She let out a defeated sigh, pushing her Freddie thoughts to the side. "Can I have my pill?"

"Sure kiddo." Spencer gave a small nervous chuckle, wondering what was up with her. He then sat down next to her right side on the couch and placed the small pill into her hand. After opening up the water bottle, he handed it over to her as well. He and Freddie watched as she swallowed the new pill and chugged down half of the bottle. When Sam was done, Spencer took the bottle from her and handed her a yogurt cup with a plastic spoon. "Here, something to eat for your stomach." He added as she looked at him curiously.

"Oh right." Sam replied softly, temporarily forgetting the pill ritual of having to eat something when taking a new one. She pulled open the tab and dug her spoon into the pink mush before slurping out a mouthful.

"Now this stuff starts working in about a half an hour, so just relax until then." Spencer stated as he set the water bottle down on the table.

"Mmph." Sam nodded her head to show she understood him as she had a mouthful of yogurt and couldn't talk. During this, Spencer and Freddie both sat with her on the couch, staying in their respective sides next to her as she sat in the middle, eating her yogurt. Sam continued to slurp down the pink spoonfuls as slowly and as carefully as she could to avoid putting any unneeded strain on her stomach muscles. Even though she was in quite a bit of pain, Sam realized it wasn't so bad to deal with right now, especially since she had some delicious food, and was sitting next to two of her three best friends in the world. Yes, even Freddie qualified for this right now. And with that final thought, Sam looked back at the TV to continue watching with the gang.

* * *

Thirty minutes passed since Sam took her Percocet pill and the gang was silent as they continued to watch TV. The empty yogurt cup had been tossed to the side as it laid on the table, having been abandoned twenty minutes ago. All three of them continued to sit lazily against the couch with their feet propped up on the table. The guys stayed by Sam's side to make sure everything went alright.

Finally the silence was broken off as Spencer looked down at his watch which let off a small beep. Whenever the group had to watch the time for Sam's medication, he always made sure to plug it into his watch, no matter how short the period.

"Alright, thirty minutes passed, how ya doing Sam?" Spencer asked softly as he looked at her.

"Huh?" Sam slowly turned her head away from the TV and looked at him. During this short movement, she realized her body felt weird, but not a bad weird. She had been so comfortable sitting next to her friends that she hadn't realized the medication had kicked in until now. After thinking about Spencer's question for a moment, Sam realized she felt like she was in a comfortable haze of relaxation and sleep. Plus, all the pain was gone, so she was pretty happy about that. "Mm, I feel ok." Sam gave Spencer a nod of the head, almost enjoying the way the movement felt. "I feel ok." She repeated as she smiled at him. At first Spencer and Freddie gave a nervous look at each other, wondering if the Percocet was going to give her the same side effects as the Vicodin. Sam always started off really happy and loopy on it, but then went through the nauseous and dizzy crash right after.

"Soo... are you with us kiddo?" Spencer asked gently, placing his hand on her knee. He wasn't sure if she was slowly going foggy.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked as her eye lids went down a bit. Freddie watched on silently, not liking the way things were looking.

"Well, do you feel kind of...giggly? Or spacey? " Spencer asked hesitantly. He realized that Sam would probably not be able to answer him correctly if her mind was going out on them, but decided to ask anyway.

"Um..." The blond girl looked up at the ceiling for a moment and closed her eyes. "Giggly? Maybe...sorta...I dunno." She paused as she shrugged her shoulders and looked back over at Spencer. "But I don't feel bad. I...you're talking about how I felt on the Vicodin before right?"

"Mhm." Spencer nodded, feeling a bit of relief that she seemed to be staying in the conversation.

"Yeah..no, I don't feel like that. Everything felt weird and funky then, but now, well, everything sort of feels like that still, but I can remember what I'm saying, instead of like.....not remembering what I am saying.....know what am I saying?" Sam stopped herself from rambling as the guys looked over at her.

"Are you ok?" Freddie asked hesitantly. Sam stared at the floor, looking confused before she answered him.

"Yeah yeah, I'm ok." She then let out a sigh, realizing she had been babbling on to the guys. "I'm just talking too much. It's nothing."

"So, you feel better with this?" Freddie asked as Sam finally looked up at him.

"Yeah.." She replied, as her lips slowly curled up into a big smile. She had to stop herself from chuckling at Freddie's feminine face. It was hard not to laugh at the makeup on his face when she felt normal, but it was almost impossible with the new painkillers. "I-I'm g-great...like T-tony the T-Tiger." Sam giggled, trying her best not to loose control.

Freddie's eyebrows went up in worry as he looked over at Spencer. "Uh, do you think she's...?"

Spencer just looked over at Freddie for a second, understanding what he was implying, before glancing back at Sam. While _he_ knew that the girl was laughing at Freddie's face, he still wasn't sure of the legitimacy of her being conscious of what she was saying.

"Tony the Tiger.." Sam smiled dreamily, speaking to no one but herself really. "I want Frosted Flakes...." She then looked up at Spencer with slightly drooped eye lids and glazed over eyes. "You have any?"

"Yeah, we have some." Spencer gave her a light smile, trying to study her face. Freddie stayed quiet as well, wondering if Sam was going to crash. There was an awkward pause as Sam and Spencer stared at each other. She was smiling until she realized that he wasn't moving.

"Um, could you get me some?" Sam cocked an eyebrow as her smile faded.

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure! Uh, that is, if you're up to it." Spencer gave a nervous chuckle.

"Up to it?" Sam asked awkwardly, her eyelids opening up more normally.

"Yeah.." Freddie added as Sam glanced over at him. "Whenever you started off on the other painkillers you got really foggy, and then became sick afterward. Do you want to chance it?"

Sam paused for a moment, staring at Freddie's face, before glancing back and forth between the two guys sitting next to her. She saw that they were hesitating and unsure of the whole situation. "Guys, I'm ok, really." Sam tried to explain. "I already told you that this doesn't feel exactly like the Vicodin. I'm aware of what I'm saying. And what I'm saying is that I want Frosted Flakes!"

"Honest?" Spencer asked cautiously. "You're not just trying to make me leave to get you a bowl of cereal?"

"Well...that's half of it." Sam chuckled before straightening out her face. "But yeah, I'm serious. I can really remember what I'm saying, and I don't feel like I'm fading in and out." Sam then paused for a second as her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Wait, have I been fading?" She asked the guys worriedly, looking back and forth between the them. While it was true that Sam felt more relaxed on the Percocet, she still realized there was a possibility of her mind zoning out, and by the expressions the guys were giving her, it was hard to convince herself otherwise. They continued to stare at her as if she just sprouted three heads.

As Spencer was about to answer her question, he was cut off as Sam continued to speak.

"Because, maybe I'm like fading in a more relaxed way. On the Vicodin I always felt like something was wrong with my mind, but right now I don't feel like that. That's good right?" Sam paused for a moment as she looked up at Spencer for confirmation.

Just as the man was about to try and answer her question a second time, she cut him off again and continued talking.

"I mean, this does sorta feel like the Vicodin because I feel more relaxed but I don't feel like I'm going nuts." Sam once again stopped talking.

This time, Freddie was about to open his mouth to try and get a word in, but Sam once again started to ramble.

"Wow, has talking always been this fun?" She blurted this question out randomly with a soft smile. Spencer and Freddie just cocked their eyebrows as they watched the girl continue to speak. "Because, I feel like I shouldn't be talking this much, that I should stop, but....I'm hungry. Where's that bowl of Frosted Flakes?" Sam glanced around, wondering why she wasn't eating some yet.

"Alright, calm down there turbo!" Spencer chuckled. "One thing at a time." He stated, noticing that Sam was trying to get ALL of her thoughts out in one sentence.

"One thing at a time, ok." Sam repeated his words as she furrowed her brow, instructing herself to focus. She thought foggily back to the guys asking her about how she felt and decided to go with that thought. "The only thing I feel with the Percocet is that it makes me feel relaxed." Sam then looked over at Freddie and smiled at him with glazed over eyes, almost as if she was giving them a visual definition of what she meant by relaxed. "So I guess there's no weird side effects to it. That's good news." Sam chuckled as she lightly pushed Freddie's shoulder back. At this point the guys were just speechless.

Finally Freddie found his voice. "Um, I wouldn't say the Percocet is _completely _side effect-less." He chuckled nervously, shooting a glance over to Spencer. Both of them realized that Sam had been rambling like a drunken person, but it still wasn't as bad as the Vicodin, because she was actually talking with some sort of perception of the conversation. Also, it was obvious she was a lot more relaxed, just as she said.

"Side effects?" Sam asked hazily, thinking about what Freddie just said. "What side effects? I don't feel any, well except for my stomach not hurting anymore, but this stuff is a painkiller, so that's sorta, kind of, it's job to take away the pain....to kill it.....to kill the pain...pain killers....wow I just got that. Hah painkillers." Sam just started chuckling before abruptly stopping. "What _am_ I saying?" She asked herself angrily, realizing she was just laughing at a stupid joke.

"Sam, are you really alright?" Spencer asked worriedly. It was obvious she was trying to cram too many of her thoughts out at once, and he was concerned that Sam wasn't going to be able to deal with these painkillers that well.

"Am I alright?" Sam repeated as she looked over at Spencer's face and stared at him intently. She saw that he was looking nervous and realized he was worried about how she was acting. Up until this point, Sam was aware that she had relaxing into the medication, but it was obvious the guys were worried about her, so she took a deep sigh and decided to clear her head to show them they didn't have to worry. "I'm ok Spencer, really. I can focus. I'm sorry if I'm worrying you and Freddie. It's just..." Sam broke eye contact and looked down at her lap for a moment. "The medication makes me feel a bit out of it, but I can try and stay focused if you need me to." She then slowly looked up at him, and Spencer realized her eyes were open more normally once again as she talked to him in a calmer fashion. "I won't say anymore stupid stuff. Promise." And with that, Sam hushed herself up and avoided any further rambling.

"Sam.." Spencer just gave her a kind smile. "We don't care if you want to talk. We're just worried if you're feeling alright or not." He stated softly as Sam looked up at him hesitantly. "So if you want to talk, feel free to. Just tell us if you don't feel ok, alright?" Spencer put his hand against her shoulder in a comforting way.

"Ok, thanks." Sam smiled at him. "But, how would I know if I'm not feeling alright? I'm feeling pret-ty good right now." She couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Boy was she feeling good.

"Well, do you remember what you just told me and Freddie?" Spencer offered, knowing that Sam generally forgot what she was talking about almost instantly when she was on the other painkillers, and then she would become sick right after.

"Um, I told you about how I felt, talking, eating, and getting some Frosted Flakes?" Sam replied hesitantly. _'That's all I can remember..' _The girl thought worriedly, hoping the guys weren't going to mention something else she might have said to them.

"Yeah, that's about it." Freddie laughed. "So I guess you _are_ feeling better on this stuff."

"I just told you that." Sam spat back, starting to get annoyed and confused by her friends restating the obvious. She then slowly glanced back and forth between her friends' faces and noticed they were still staring at her awkwardly. At this point Sam's confusion was starting to get replaced by irritation. If she wasn't acting completely stupid and giggly, then why were the guys still looking at her as if she was mentally unstable? With this thought, Sam turned towards Spencer and took a deep breath. "Would you stop looking at me like that?! You're making me feel as if I'm going psycho!"

"Alright alright! I'm sorry!" Spencer stood up from the couch and held his hands up in defense, not expecting Sam to jump back so quickly to her abrasive personality. "I was just worried about how you were going to take the new medication. But it looks as though you're staying with us. I'll back off, ok?" Spencer gave her a small smile. It was obvious Sam's attitude was still with her, even if it was veiled over by a thin fog of drugs. Right now she was acting a lot better and more coherent than before when she was on the Vicodin. Whenever she was on those, it was like she was completely stripped of her personality and devoid of normal thoughts. Spencer didn't mind a few exaggerated sentences and random mood bursts if it meant Sam was feeling alright.

"Thank you." Sam sighed as she sat back into the couch, relieved that the awkward stare fest had stopped. "Now get me a bowl of cereal." She demanded in a much more familiar Sam-like tone.

"On my way!" Spencer chuckled as he turned around and trotted towards the kitchen. As Spencer left the living room, Sam sighed once more and closed her eyes. Freddie just sat to her left and continued to look at her.

_'Well, it does seem as though she has a better perception of what's going on around her than before. I hope these meds work out better..'_ Freddie thought to himself. If Sam was currently on the Vicodin, she would already be at the point where her head was bobbing back and forth as she spewed out the most random things, such as a three way wedding between them all. Freddie couldn't help but crack a smile at this thought. Sam said some pretty crazy things when she was drugged up before, but unfortunately the crash ruined the humor. With a small sigh, Freddie looked back over at Sam as she continued to keep her eyes closed. _'I really hope these painkillers don't give you those awful side effects.'_ He thought in concern. Despite all the agony this girl caused him on a daily basis, even he didn't like seeing Sam in that kind of shape.

* * *

**Ok, so Sam's a bit of a chatterbox on these pills, but it looks like she can handle them. =)**


	88. And The School Day Ends

A little bit of time passed as Spencer came out of the kitchen with a bowl of cold milk and cereal in his hand for Sam.

"Here you go kiddo, one bowl of flakes, complete with frost." Spencer chuckled as he held out the bowl to the girl while she opened her eyes and hungrily licked her bottom lip.

"About time." She laughed as she reached up and took it away from him. Spencer and Freddie then watched as she started ravaging the cereal, scooping up spoonfuls and swallowing them down as if she were starving. Than again, after all the puking, Sam probably was at this point.

"Hey, you may wanna ease up there just a bit." Spencer laughed as he sat down next to Sam's right side. "You could choke eating like that."

"Mrrrnorreaseernnnupphunngruh." Sam just mumbled in response, her mouth completely full.

"Huh? What did you say?" Spencer cocked an eyebrow as he watched Sam take a big gulp.

"I said.." The girl then paused as she hungrily snatched up another spoonful and put it into her mouth. "MMRRRRNOREASERRNHUNNGRUH!"

"Yes, because that was so much more clear." Freddie laughed but abruptly stopped when Sam shot a glare at him. She was starting to feel a bit irritated at the guys, wondering why they were having a hard time hearing her. It never occurred to her drugged up mind that she should stop eating for a second so she could talk as no one understood her with her mouth full.

During this, Freddie watched as Sam put her spoon into the bowl once more as she took a gulp, finishing off her last mouthful. He knew he had to act fast in order to get her to talk clearly to them, so he quickly reached over and grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her from taking another spoonful.

"Freddie, what the?!" Sam cried out, looking at him as he held onto her wrist, keeping it firmly in place. "Do you have a death sentence?" She threatened, glaring at him. He was currently keeping her from eating some food and this was a big no-no in Sam Puckett world, despite how easy going she felt on the drugs.

_'Wow, if her eyes weren't glazed over so much, I'd swear she was back to normal.'_ Freddie thought nervously before speaking. "Uh no Sam, it's just, me and Spencer need you to stop eating for a second so we could hear what you said before. What did you say?"

"I said, I'm not going to ease up because I'm hungry, now darn it Freddie, let go!" Sam angrily snapped her wrist away from the boy, accidentally whipping a nice sized spoonful of milk right into Spencer's face.

"WUAH!" Spencer coughed and sputtered as he jumped off the couch and put his hands over his face to wipe off the mess. Sam and Freddie just stared at him wide eyed, not expecting that. "Blargg..." Spencer moaned as he tried to wipe the milk off.

Sam just gulped silently, knowing it was her fault. Her face then turned from shock to anger as she snapped her head towards Freddie and pulled back her arm as she balled up her hand into a fist. "Look at what you did to Spencer!"

"Hey! But I didn't-" The boy started to cry out in response but was cut off as Sam's arm flew forward. Freddie instinctively flinched as her fist came into contact with his arm, but as soon as the girl retracted it, he slowly opened his eyes and looked down at the spot where she hit. It didn't really hurt that much. Actually, it was just a soft tap, definitely not worthy of earning the title of a true Sam Puckett punch. Once again Freddie was reminded of how weak she was. _'I have to remember, she's still not well...'_ Freddie sighed to himself before looking up at Spencer and noticing that he was just staring at the two kids with wide eyes, milk dripping down his cheeks. Freddie just moaned and decided to take the fall for Sam, solely for the fact that she was sick. "Yeah yeah, I did it, sorry Spence." Freddie muttered to the man as he bent forward and picked a napkin off the table and handed it to him.

"S'okay Freddo, we all have our spazz out moments." Spencer replied with a smile as he took the napkin and winked at Freddie. He was no fool, despite what others thought, and knew that Sam caused the trouble.

Meanwhile, as Spencer and Freddie shared this quick glance, Sam continued to stare down at her balled up fist that she had just used to punch Freddie. _'I probably shouldn't have reacted that way, but at least I held back the punch.' _Sam thought to herself quietly, thinking back about all the nice actions he had done for her so far. What Freddie thought was just weakness from being sick on her part, was actually her consideration of his feelings....for once. Sam herself made sure that punch didn't hurt. _'Weird...' _She mentally sighed, staring at her fist as she relaxed her hand and opened it up. _'That was the first time I've ever really held back on punching the nub. I mean, he still had the whole "AH SAM DON'T HURT ME" fear in his eyes, but I didn't have to hurt him to get it.' _Sam then cocked her eyebrow in confusion as she continued to think. _'Maybe I can still have some fun with him without actually putting him in any pain. I mean, I enjoy that look of terror in his eyes, but once I hurt him, the whole fun is over, and it's back to normal.' _Sam then smiled to herself as she let out a chuckle._ 'And it would be more fun if I don't beat him up all the time. Only once in a while. That way he will always be scared if I'm going to hurt him or not each time I threaten him.' _Sam couldn't help but continue to chuckle quietly to herself. By now, Spencer and Freddie were just staring at her as if she were nuts. _'Yeah, then I still have my control over him and I won't have to hurt him. Win win for us both. Awesome.' _Sam finally concluded in her head. She then let off a small sigh and looked back up only to see the guys staring at her.

"What?" Sam asked quietly.

"You ok?" Freddie stated softly. "You kind of look like you're.."

"...crazy." Spencer bravely finished.

"Oh uh I was just thinking." Sam quickly replied. _'Crap, I ramble in my head too! Oh well, at least I have control of my thoughts, unlike the Vicodin. Man that stuff was crazy. I could swear that my thoughts echoed when I was on that junk....hm....I wonder if my thoughts would echo now if I tried it. Echo echo echo echo...no doesn't work, that's just me repeating the word...........Hmm. Now everything's quiet....and the guys are staring at me again. DANG IT! I'm doing it again.' _Sam just shook her head hard to clear her mind from the babbling thoughts. "Stop staring at me!" She moaned to Spencer and Freddie, knowing that they were justified in their stare because she must have looked like a zombie to them. It still didn't change the fact that she disliked it.

"Sorry!" Spencer apologized as he backed up. "You just looked like you were going out of it."

"I was...sorta. But it's ok. Nothing to worry about." Sam sighed as she sat back into the couch, lazily holding her bowl of cereal on her lap. Suddenly she felt very weak and tired. Also, as relaxing and comforting as the Percocet made her body feel, she still couldn't help but notice that the room was still chilly.

"Alright then, if you say so." Spencer replied with a kind smile. He then looked back down at his shirt and continued to wipe off the milk splatter that had dripped down from his face. As he quickly finished, he looked back up at the TV screen and saw the time. "Whoa, is that right?" He asked worriedly.

"Huh? Is what right?" Freddie asked, not understanding,

"The time." Spencer cocked an eyebrow as he stared at it. Freddie looked over at the TV before looking back at the man.

"Yeah why?"

"I've got to go and pick up Carly from school!" Spencer murmured, hurriedly running over to the kitchen to throw out the used napkins.

"Oh yeah! Wow, the time went fast." Freddie thought, having forgotten that the brunette girl was actually in school.

_'Not that fast..' _Sam thought awkwardly. She could have sworn that she was sitting in a pile of pineapple pizzas a week ago. Let alone a stinking hospital.

"Will you guys be alright if I leave for ten minutes or so?" Spencer asked as he pulled a light jacket on and picked up his set of keys.

At first, Freddie was about to open his mouth to say it was fine, but then he shut it with a click as he looked over at Sam, as it was really her they were concerned about. Both of the guys waited for her response, but she just continued to stare down at the bowl of cereal in her lap.

_'Pineapple pizzas. Yuck. Why did I order that? Ugh. Pineapples are like a vegetable or something....er a fruit or....uh...well, it's just not meat.'_ Sam huffed to herself, slowly loosing her focus as she started to fade into the drugs again.

"Hey Sam.." Spencer walked back over to the front of the couch and crouched down next to her.

"Huh?" She looked up at him, having been broken out of her foggy thoughts.

"Will you be alright if I leave for ten minutes? I swear I'll be right back."

Sam just stared at him for a moment until she started to give him a smile. "Yeah sure, that's no problem. I can just sit here...and wait...and I dunno....sleep........" The blond girl's eye lids started to go down with each word. During this, Spencer couldn't help but notice that the half empty cereal bowl was slowly slipping through her grasp and tilting towards the floor.

"Whoa, alrighty there sleepyhead." Spencer chuckled as he reached over and picked up the bowl. "I'm just going to go put this away for you." He smiled as he stood back up and looked over at Freddie. "Keep an eye on her?" Spencer told him softly, knowing that Sam was fading quickly.

"Yup no problem." Freddie gave him a smile and an A-OK sign with his fingers. Spencer just smiled in return and nodded appreciatively as he walked back over into the kitchen and placed the bowl in the sink.

"Alright, see ya guys soon!" Spencer gave a small wave to Freddie as he pressed the elevator button and stepped in as soon as the door opened.

"Bye!" Freddie waved back until the door closed down on Spencer. Now that he was gone, it was once again just Sam and Freddie in the apartment. "And you little missy.." Freddie started to say as he pointed to Sam jokingly. "No phones." He laughed. The last time they were left alone, Sam ended up misusing the Shay's phone and ordered enough pizza to feed the whole floor of the apartment building. _'Hope that stuff doesn't stink up the iCarly studio.' _Freddie chuckled mentally, remembering how he and Spencer moved the boxes up there when they were making Sam feel nauseous. With a small sigh, Freddie then glanced back over at his friend and noticed she was still sitting up as her chin rested down against her chest. It was obvious she was falling asleep upright.

"Hey Sam, you should probably lay down on your back. You're going to strain your neck muscles if you stay up like that. Here." Freddie scooted over closer to the girl so he was sitting right next to her and put his hand against her shoulder. Just as he was about to help her move into a laying down position, she herself moved instead as she brought her head up and gently leaned over and relaxed it back down on Freddie's shoulder. The boy instantly froze at this.

"S-Sam?" He asked, not sure what to do. The blond girl didn't say a word. Instead she just mumbled incoherently into his shoulder and stayed there. _'Aw man..'_ Freddie thought worriedly, staring into space._ 'I can't move her off me, but if I stay like this..' _He then slowly turned his head back towards her to look down at her. _'I'll get murdered!' _After a tense moment of fretting, Freddie finally came to the dangerous conclusion of staying where he was. _'I'll just deal with whatever happens when she wakes up! It can't be too bad...I mean, she doesn't have much strength.'_ Freddie nervously gulped. _'Then again with Sam, she could always find it, or make up for it with a blunt object.' _And with that last thought, Freddie stayed dead still as Sam continued to lay against him. His heart was pounding as he kept his eyes glued to the TV screen, trying his best not to move or make the slightest noise in fear of waking up the dangerous girl on his shoulder. Finally after a minute or two, Sam let off another mumble followed by a soft gurgle. Freddie cocked an eyebrow and looked down at her.

"Aw Sam..." He moaned as he watched a bit of drool slip out of her mouth and almost instantly darken his shirt. The boy then glanced around the room with a sigh. "And of course Sham-pow is nowhere to be seen." Freddie's face fell in defeat, realizing Sam's spit was starting to soak through. _'Carly was right, she does drool like a Saint Bernard.'_ He chuckled, remembering when Sam had fallen asleep against her best friend. _'Well, if Carly can sit through it, then I guess I can too.' _The boy gave a half hearted laugh as he looked back over at the girl sleeping on his shoulder, softly drooling against him. Along with the spit and soft mumbles, he also noticed one other feature of her current sleeping state. She was shaking very slightly. _'Must be cold..' _He thought, looking over at the blanket loosely draped across her shoulders. After hitching his breath in his lungs, Freddie cautiously wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled the red blanket tighter against her, bundling her up. Once the girl was tucked in, Freddie just sighed and looked back down at her face. "When you wake up, you _better_ remember that _you_ fell asleep on _me_." Freddie laughed before looking back over at the TV and propping his legs up on the table and crossing them. He just knew he was not going to come out of this unharmed, so he figured he'd better try and relax now while he was still alive.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Ridgeway, the bell rang as school finally ended. After walking back from her last class, Carly stopped at her locker to finish up. She was currently stuffing books into her bag to take home. She also had a bundle of homework under her arm that she offered to take to both Sam and Freddie. She knew that in reality she could have just tossed Sam's bundle into the recycle bin and saved herself from carrying the useless weight, but Carly still wanted to at least try to get Sam to do it, despite how little that had a chance of happening. With a small tired sigh, Carly reached up and shut her locker with a clank. She then glanced over at Sam's abandoned locker, and turned around to see Freddie's lonely one around the corner as well. It had been a pretty suckish day without her two main friends around. Carly's depressed thoughts were then broken off though as she heard someone shout her name.

"Hey Carly!" A red haired girl named Anne ran up to her excitedly from down the hallway. "Is it true that Sam was blinded in her left eye from a shishkabob accident?"

Carly just let out another deep sigh. "No." She moaned, turning around and walking away. That was another thing that made the day suckish. Rumors were still flying around crazily at Ridgeway about her best friend's condition. It was like wildfire, and while Carly had valiantly tried to douse the flames, she was just no match for the student body. She finally gave up after hours of explanations and just said no to everybody who came up to her with ridiculous questions.

At least there was one thing to be glad about at this point. The school day was over, and with that pleasant thought, Carly started to walk down the hallway with a smile on her face, happy that she would be home with her friends soon.

* * *

One minute had passed as Carly was walking down the last hallway in the building to get outside. Her previous smile had been wiped clean as she now held an emotionless look on her face. Various kids have been pummeling her with last minute questions as she tried her best to get out the main doors. She just kept her eyesight focused on the goal as random students came up to her and continued to ask her about the stupid rumors.

"So Carly, is it true that Sam broke a.."

"No."

"And that she fell off a.."

"No."

"So Sam twisted her..."

"No."

"Were there really chickens all over the...."

"No. Wait, what?" Carly finally turned her attention over to a brown haired boy, having been asked the most awkward question of the day.

The boy smiled sheepishly as he repeated himself. "Were there really chickens all over the road after that poultry truck swerved and crashed into Sam's house? I mean, that's why she had to go to the hospital right? To get one of the beaks surgically removed?"

Carly just moaned and slapped a hand to her forehead. This was getting ridiculous. "Everybody!" She screamed out to the hallway, making all the kids look up from what they were doing at their lockers. "Sam went to the hospital because she had appendicitis. Say it with me. AP-PEN-DI-CIT-IS!" The kids just stared back at the brunette girl as if she was crazy. With everyone's eyes on her, Carly chuckled nervously, finally realizing what she was doing. "Thank you." She murmured quietly, suddenly self conscious at being the center of attention. And with that, she turned back around and hurried down the hallway, leaving a huge group of confused children behind her.

"What's appendicitis?" A boy in the crowd asked as his friend standing next to him shrugged.

"Dunno. But it sounds like it has something to do with a pen." The friend laughed in jest as the two guys continued walking down the hallway. Meanwhile, a girl that overheard them ran over to the lockers and wedged her way into another group of girls.

"Hey, I heard that Sam was hurt by a pen. Had to go to a hospital and all." She nodded enthusiastically as the group of girls gasped. Meanwhile, one of the other girls saw their boyfriend down the hall and broke off to run over to him and tell him about her new discovery.

"Yeah, just heard about how Sam Puckett got stabbed with a pen and had to go to the hospital." She nodded as his eyes widened.

"Whoa, that's crazy!" He replied in shock. And with that, the couple continued to walk down the hallway as various students fiddling around in their lockers overheard them and instantly ran to go tell their friend the newest Ridgeway rumor. There was just no stopping the rumor mill.

* * *

**Ok, so it looks as though Carly had no success with the Ridgeway rumors. D= But at least she's going home now!**

**And it seems that Freddie's in an interesting predicament. Too bad the poor boy's nerves are shot at having Sam this close to him. Even when she's sick and asleep, she intimidates him, as per usual. ;) **


	89. Makeup Revealed

Freddie had been sitting quietly on the couch with Sam sleeping on his shoulder for a total of fourteen minutes when he heard a ding come from behind him. He slowly turned his neck around to see the elevator door rolling upwards, revealing Carly and Spencer.

"Hey guys." Freddie smiled as he watched the two step out. Carly just froze in place as she finally saw the boy's makeup in person.

"_Oh my god_." She whispered to her brother. "_Did you guys leave that on all this time without telling him?_"

"_Yup_." Spencer smiled proudly. "_Hilarious isn't it?_"

"_But...it's been like hours since Sam sent me that picture._" Carly replied in disbelief.

"_She sent you a picture?_" Spencer asked quietly as Carly nodded. "_Genius!_"

"_Yeah.._" Carly responded softly with a chuckle as she looked back over at Freddie.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Freddie called over curiously, wondering why they were whispering.

"Oh..uh.." Carly smiled, her lips twitching as she tried to keep her composure as she walked towards the couch and placed her book bag on the floor next to it. "It's nothing, we were just....awwww." The girl lost her train of thought as she started to coo after finally noticing how her friends were positioned on the couch. Freddie instantly started to blush from embarrassment.

"I didn't, I mean, Sam, she fell asleep on me like this and..." Freddie was cut off as Spencer smirked.

"Looks like they can't be trusted alone eh?" The man wiggled his eyebrows as he playfully nudged his sister who laughed.

"Stop it!" Freddie moaned.

"I'm just kidding Freddo." Spencer laughed. "Anyways, everything go alright with Sam while I was gone?"

"Yup. She pretty much drifted out right after you left."

"Oh ok good." Spencer replied softly before his lips twitched upward. "Was that before or after you snaked your arm around her?"

"Spencer!" Freddie exclaimed.

"Kidding! Kidding!" Spencer laughed as he ran across the room and disappeared into the hallway.

Meanwhile, Carly made her way over to the couch and stood next to Freddie and Sam.

"So really, how's Sam doing? Last I left, she was pretty out of it." Carly replied softly.

"Well, it was a little rough in the beginning. She got sick and puked after eating, but it was only once and because of the Vicodin."

"Yeah, on the car ride home Spencer told me how he switched the pills for her. Is she doing any better on the Percocet?"

"Mhm." Freddie nodded with a smile. "She's a lot more aware of what's going on around her."

"That's good." Carly stated with a smile. "And there hasn't been any side effects? Like the dizziness and nausea?"

"Nope, nothing like that, but the pills still have _some _side effects." Freddie thought for a moment, trying to think of how to describe it to his friend.

"Oh, is it bad?" Carly asked worriedly. She couldn't stand the idea of Sam going through yet another horrible side effect from medication.

"Um, I wouldn't call it bad really." Freddie gave a small chuckle as Carly cocked an eyebrow. "The pills just make Sam a bit more.....relaxed."

"How so?" Carly asked curiously.

"Dunno how to explain it really." Freddie shrugged. "It's like, she feels a bit more at ease talking, especially with me."

"Uh..." Carly just wasn't sure what he meant.

"She sort of rambles on when she talks, and if you don't stop her, she'll continue for a while. We eventually had to give her cereal to quiet her down."

"Oh.." Carly just stared at him, unsure of the whole thing. It just didn't seem like her best friend was in the right state of mind if the girl rambled on like that, especially to Freddie. "Now when you say Sam is a bit more relaxed, do you mean she's just completely conked out of her head like before?"

"At first Spencer and I thought so, but Sam told us she didn't feel like that. And I sort of believe her because when we talk, she stays focused. I mean, of course she's going to say extra stuff to us that she normally wouldn't, but I still think her mind is with us. Occasionally she'll fog out, but she doesn't say any of the crazy stuff that she used to on the Vicodin."

"Oh....I guess I understand what you mean." Carly stated hesitantly.

"Well, you'll fully get it when you talk to her. You'll see that she's still our Sam." Freddie laughed. "Just a bit hazy and more relaxed."

"Alright." Carly smiled, trusting Freddie.

"Oh, and one last thing!"

"Yeah?"

"One of the other side effects is that she gets really tired. She looked pretty beat after the pill kicked in."

"That's a side effect? I thought that was just Sam's thing." Carly smiled as Freddie chuckled.

"True." He laughed. "But yeah, she fades quick on the pills."

"...and you said that she didn't puke at all or get dizzy?" Carly asked once more to clarify.

"No."

"Alright, that's good then. The side effects don't sound too bad."

"Nope." Freddie smiled before shifting in his seat a bit. "Oh by the way, I'm really glad you're here!"

"Thanks." Carly smiled warmly, quite pleased to hear that Freddie missed her.

"I _really_ have to go to the bathroom!" Freddie murmured as the brunette girl's face fell.

"Well nice to see you too." Carly spat back sarcastically.

"Can you switch places with me, please?" Freddie smiled sheepishly, nodding towards the girl on his shoulder.

Carly just laughed, having a flashback from the hospital, only now her role was reversed. "Yeah sure, no problem Fredrina-uh I mean Freddie." She quickly stopped herself from laughing as she pursed her lips together tight. Freddie just stared back at her awkwardly as he raised an eyebrow.

_'Weird..now Carly's randomly giggling, just like Spencer and Sam were earlier. I wonder if there's a gas leak in here somewhere...' _He thought as Carly walked over and slipped her arms between the two kids. And just as they did before four days ago, Freddie backed out of the way and scooted over on the couch as Carly supported Sam up and gently sat down in the boy's previous seat. Once the two had made a successful switch, Sam just sighed in her sleep as she relaxed her head onto her best friend's shoulder, not having been disturbed by her friends' movements.

"I'll be right back." Freddie smiled as he started to walk off towards Spencer's bathroom.

"Ok.." Carly giggled quietly, barely containing her laughter. The only way she managed to stop herself from completely loosing it was by looking down at her friend laying against her. Carly frowned as she felt Sam give off a few shivers. She saw that Spencer and Freddie had bundled her up in a thick red blanket, but it still looked as though the blond girl wasn't feeling the best. Carly let off a small sigh as she kept her arms around Sam, trying to warm her up.

Meanwhile, Freddie made his way into Spencer's bathroom and shut the door with a click. As he walked over to the toilet, he managed to sneak a quick glance at his face in the mirror. At this point his eyes just widened.

* * *

_"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" _A distressed voice rang out through the Shay apartment.

Carly whipped her neck around to look towards the hallway as she heard Freddie's voice emit the most feminine shriek she had ever heard. She couldn't help but crack a small smile as the girly scream just made the situation that much more funnier. As Carly chuckled to herself, she clamped her lips together as she heard Freddie stomp back into the room.

"I have makeup on my face!" He growled angrily, trying to wipe it off with a white hand towel he brought back with him from Spencer's bathroom. Carly just stared at him over the back of the couch with a huge smile on her face.

"Why yes, yes you do." She then put her free hand over her mouth to stop from bursting out into laughter. She almost lost it when Freddie took the towel away from his face and had black mascara smudged under his eyes. How Sam managed to get that on while he was sleeping was quite the mystery.

"Why. Do. I. Have. Makeup. On. My. Face." Freddie glared at his friend.

"Well..." Carly chimed in, trying to keep her best from laughing. Unfortunately it wasn't working and she had to stop talking as she let out a few giggles. Meanwhile Freddie was waiting impatiently for her to explain until his eyes widened. He was so caught off guard about this that he couldn't think straight and forgot about falling asleep next to Sam earlier in the morning.

"SAM!" Freddie yelled out in realization, racing over to the back of the couch. Carly's happy demeanor instantly vanished at this.

"Whoa hold on there!" Carly murmured, turning around in her seat on the couch to look at her best friend on her shoulder. "She's still sleeping."

"But I.." Freddie growled for a moment as he glanced down at the couch and saw his perpetrator resting peacefully. "She put...and I..with the makeup...for hours Carly! HOURS!" Freddie yelled out in frustration.

"SHH!" Carly whispered harshly, trying her best to keep her voice down as well. "I get it, but c'mon, Sam's sick. You can yell at her later."

"..but...." Freddie then paused as he stared down at Sam's pale face once more. "Grah!" The boy let out a quiet growl of frustration as he turned around and walked away in defeat, letting Sam off the hook for now. As mad as he was, he wasn't going to take anything out on her when she wasn't feeling well. And with that thought, Freddie stomped his way across the living room to get back to the bathroom. During this, Spencer finally came out from the hallway to see what was going on and curiously stepped aside as Freddie started to make his way past. Spencer saw that he was angry and realized from the boy's makeup smudged face that he had finally found out about the prank that was done quite some time ago.

"Hey guys.." Spencer asked softly with a huge smile, trying his best not to laugh. "What's all the c-commotio-?" But before he could say another word, Freddie stopped in the hallway and turned around to face the man.

"_YOU WERE IN ON IT TOO! THAT'S WHY YOU AND SAM WERE LAUGHING AT ME EARLIER_!" Freddie whispered harshly, substituting it for yelling as he pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Why, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Spencer exclaimed, putting one hand over his heart as he held the other one up to his mouth to cover a false gasp of shock.

"You're all against me!" Freddie spoke wildly, pointing at Spencer with one hand, and pointing at Carly with his other. "You may think it's funny now, but I will get you guys back. Don't know how or when, but I will!"

"Yeah ok." Carly smiled as she rolled her eyes.

"Sure." Spencer added with a chuckle.

"I mean it!" The boy exclaimed, hearing the lack of belief in his friends' voices. "No one makes a fool of Freddie Benson!" He huffed.

Carly just cocked her eyebrow at this. "Sam does..."

"And on a daily basis too if I may add." Spencer smiled.

"I know." Freddie moaned in defeat as his shoulders slumped forward. He then looked back down at the towel he was holding in his hand and sighed. Carly and Spencer watched as he rose it up to his face and started rubbing his skin furiously before taking it off once more, smudging the makeup even more drastically. "Ugh, how am I going to scrape this crud off?!" Freddie sighed, staring at the stained towel.

"Don't worry, there's some makeup remover in the bathroom!" Spencer chimed happily as he walked over towards Freddie to show him where to get it.

"Huh? But I don't have any makeup remover." Carly replied in a confused tone. Spencer just looked back at her awkwardly with wide eyes, as if she just caught him stealing a cookie from a cookie jar.

"Uh yeah, nevermind, gotta go!" And with that Spencer grabbed Freddie's hand and yanked him into the hallway and out of sight. Carly just stared at the now empty living room as a million new questions and concerns about her brother ran through her head.

* * *

Meanwhile, Freddie continued to be dragged by Spencer down the hallway until he led them into the bathroom.

"Oof." Freddie murmured as Spencer finally let go of the boy's wrist after practically slamming him into the sink. He then watched as the man bent down and retrieved a jar of gunk from the bottom cabinet.

"See? Makeup remover." He smiled proudly, standing back up and holding it out to show him.

"Um yeah..why _do _you have that?" Freddie asked worriedly, sharing the same awkward concerns as Carly.

"Remember when you guys dressed me up as my Great Aunt Natalie to get iCarly back from Nevel?" Spencer paused as the boy nodded. "Well I had to buy this stuff to get the makeup off."

"Oh..." Freddie laughed. "But still, why didn't you just tell Carly that instead of running off? She's going to think you're.."

"Crazy?" Spencer added with a laugh. "I know! Isn't it fun to mess with people's heads?" He smiled happily as he started to twist off the top of the jar.

"Wow." Freddie laughed as he shook his head in disbelief. He never knew Spencer had a _Sam_ side to him.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the living room, Carly was still sitting quietly with Sam as she continued to sleep against her. A few minutes had passed and the guys were still in the bathroom working on removing Sam's prank. All was silent until Carly felt a slight bit of movement against her shoulder.

"Hm?" She looked down and noticed that Sam's lips were moving as the blond girl started to mumble.

"Mrm.." Sam moaned, slowly becoming more restless until she finally opened her eyes and stared out into space.

"Hey Sam.." Carly greeted her friend softly. She watched as the girl looked up at her with glazed over eyes. It was obvious there was a bit of confusion on her face as she furrowed her eyebrows in thought. At first Carly just stared back at her quietly, wondering if she was going to be alright. She knew Sam was on different medication and wasn't sure how it affected her yet. All she had to go on were Freddie's words, but Carly was still worried about how Sam might act.

"Wow.." The blond girl finally murmured, shutting her eyes tight after having stared at Carly for a total of ten seconds. "I thought these pills didn't mess me up.." She moaned.

"Why, what's wrong?" Carly asked gently. Sam just sighed as she opened her eyes up once more and looked back up at her friend.

"I could swear you look like Carly, Fredwad. You even sound like her too.." Sam slurred as her eye lids dropped down a bit. Carly couldn't help but laugh at her friend's drugged misconception.

"Sam, it's alright, you're not hallucinating from the pills." Carly smiled, a bit humored at this. "It's really m-" But before the brunette girl could continue, her friend started to ramble.

"No, I've got to be hallucinating, I mean look..." Sam gently pulled herself off of Carly's shoulder and started fiddling around with her friend's hair. "..you've got long hair. Or at least I think you do. No wait, you can't have long hair Fredwardo." Sam chuckled, continuing to pull strands of Carly's hair gently between her fingers. "So if you don't have long hair, am I just touching the air? Hah...hair and air rhyme. But I feel something and it can't be air....am I dreaming?" Sam sighed tiredly, staring at the locks of hair strung between her fingers that she was currently tangling up. Meanwhile, Carly was just at a loss for words, not expecting her friend to go off on such a tangent, especially after just waking up.

"It's ok, really. I'm not Freddie. It's me, Carly...Carls...Carlotta, your best friend." Carly smiled as she put her hand against Sam's shoulder. "I just got home from school."

Sam stayed quiet as she looked back up at Carly and stared at her for a moment. The brunette girl watched as Sam's eyelids started to go up as if she were waking up, making it obvious the girl was starting to focus. "Carly?" She asked quietly, letting go of her friend's hair.

"Yup, it's me." Carly laughed, straightening her hair back up and smoothing it down. Sam was still unsure of this, but soon enough both Spencer and Freddie walked out of the hallway and into the living room.

"Got it off." Freddie smiled proudly to Carly. His smile faltered though when he noticed Sam was staring at him too. "You're awake." He glared at her, getting ready to confront her about the prank. But just as he opened up his mouth to say something, the blond girl turned her attention back to Carly, completely ignoring him.

"Oh.. there's Freddie." Sam replied quietly, before chuckling. "Sorry about mistaking you for him. I was just a bit foggy."

"That's alright, no worries." Carly smiled. "I understand, especially since you just woke up and..oh!" She was cut off as Sam reached forward and grabbed her into a surprise hug.

"I'm glad you're home." Sam mumbled.

Carly couldn't help but chuckle as she wrapped her arms around her friend and patted Sam's back appreciatively, all the while making sure not to put any pressure on the surgery wound. "Thanks, I'm glad you're feeling better."

Meanwhile, Freddie and Spencer were standing behind the the couch and were looking at the girls. Carly just smiled at them over Sam's back and shrugged, not really knowing why her friend was acting so affectionate. Carly then squinted as she saw Freddie mouth the word 'side effects' to her. And with that the brunette girl's eyebrows went up in understanding as she realized why Sam was behaving oddly.

"So how'd your test go?" The blond girl's muffled voice came from behind her best friend's shoulder as she stayed in the embrace for a few more seconds. Finally Carly watched as Sam slowly sat back and broke off the hug, continuing to keep a smile on her face.

"Well it was.." But before Carly could continue speaking, Sam cut her off.

"Was it hard? Or did you get enough study time in during lunch and study hall? I know I was kind of texting you a lot during those times and..."

"...uh it's alright, you didn't bother me at all with the texts." Carly started to say with a smile, but Sam completely ignored this as she continued to talk.

"...and then I sent you that picture which must have broken your concentration, which, come to think of it, was a bad idea. I didn't realize that before I sent it, which I probably should have, but..."

"Whoa Sam whoa!" Carly gently put her hand on her best friend's shoulder. Sam instantly closed her mouth with a click and looked up at her friend curiously. "It's ok. I did alright on my test."

Sam just looked back at her hesitantly for a second before smiling. "Oh, ok good." Carly just smiled back, before looking over at Freddie with a small confused expression. She watched as he put his hands around his mouth as if he was going to amplify his voice, but just silently mouthed the words 'side effects' once more. Carly couldn't help but laugh at this, finally understanding what Freddie was talking about earlier. The pills' side effects were obviously giving her friend a motor mouth, but at least the girl wasn't completely knocked out like before. Carly was a bit worried when Sam woke up in a haze of confusion, but at least she saw that it was just a temporary reaction. Also, Sam's foggy response to the situation was justified considering the kids _did_ pull a switch on her.

_'Ok, so it seems that Freddie was right. So far Sam looks and sounds a lot better on this stuff than she did with the Vicodin.'_ Carly thought as Sam continued to smile at her warmly. _'But it's way obvious she's on drugs too.'_ Carly mentally laughed, smiling back at her very complacent and relaxed friend.

* * *

**School is over and the gang is all together now. Aw. =3 And Carly's really happy that Sam's on better painkillers! Looks like things are improving. ;)  
**

**(Also it seems as though Freddie has once again become the target for everyone's pranks and jokes! The poor guy can't get a break! And that's just the way I like it! Haha. xD)****  
**


	90. Sleepy Study Session

_'Ok, so it seems that Freddie was right. So far Sam looks and sounds a lot better on this stuff than she did with the Vicodin.'_ Carly thought as Sam continued to smile at her warmly. _'But it's way obvious she's on drugs too.' _Carly mentally laughed, smiling back at her very complacent and relaxed friend.

Meanwhile, Freddie just stared at the girls from his position behind the couch. His previous anger had slowly died down once he saw how happy Sam was to see Carly. He decided to just let the prank go at this point for her sake.

"Hey, so you guys hungry or anything?" Spencer asked with a smile.

"Mm no not really." Carly answered honestly.

"Me neither." Freddie nodded in response.

"Sam?" Spencer looked over at her.

"Nah, those Frosted Flakes were good enough." She smiled back at him.

"Alright then." Spencer chuckled. "If you guys are ok here, I'll be heading back over to my room to do some sketching."

"Have fun." Carly laughed as Freddie and Sam nodded. And with that Spencer left the room and disappeared into the hallway.

* * *

Spencer hummed to himself softly as he stopped in his doorway. Unfortunately his happiness slowly drained from him as his eyes widened at what he saw. His sketchpad was torn into shreds as various bits and pieces of white paper were flung about his room. There in the middle of the massacre, sitting on top of his bed, was none other than..

"FROTHY!" Spencer yelled out, as he put his hands on his head in disbelief.

"Mrow?"

* * *

Back in the living room, all three of the kids were now sitting on the couch with Carly in the middle.

"So how was school?" Freddie turned around to face the brunette girl.

"Ugh, don't ask." She sighed, not wanting to relive that part of her day. "Oh! But before I forget, here." Carly reached down to her back pack on the floor and rifled through it before pulling out two packets of papers. "I have your guys' homework." Carly stated as she handed her friends their respective packets. Two different reactions instantly came from their mouths.

"Thanks." Freddie replied as he scanned the top page.

"Ughh..." Sam moaned, pushing hers to the side.

Carly just laughed at this as she looked at Freddie. "You're welcome..." She then turned her attention over to Sam. "...and I'm sorry."

Sam shook her head in disappointment as if her friend should have known better. Carly just smiled and rolled her eyes at this.

"So, did I miss anything important?" Freddie asked as he opened up his packet of papers and flipped through them.

"Well, you didn't _miss_ anything, but we do have a big history test tomorrow.." Carly sighed.

"What?" Freddie asked quickly.

"Yeah, on the Civil War, remember? Our class was supposed to take it before our three day weekend, but we all begged for it to be postponed until two days after it. That way we could use the time for studying."

"Or ya know, going to the hospital for surgery." Sam shrugged casually as her friends looked over at her.

"Yes, or _that_." Carly laughed.

"Oh man, I completely forgot about that." Freddie sighed. "I haven't studied at all."

"Me either." Carly replied honestly. There was sort of an awkward pause as the kids stayed silent. Sam just looked down at her lap, feeling a bit guilty for this.

"Well uh...you can study now, right?" Sam offered with a small smile as she looked up at them.

"Huh?" Carly asked as she and Freddie looked at her awkwardly.

"I don't care if you guys go and hit the books. I can just sit here. " Sam shrugged.

"Alright, thanks, but.." Carly paused for a moment as she thought of something. Sam was also in their history class, and while there was no way the girl was going back to school yet, she was still going to have to eventually take that test. Carly knew the only way Sam would be ready for it was if she studied with them.

"..but what?" Sam asked curiously.

"How about you come and study with us?" Carly offered with a smile, trying to help her out with her grades.

"Huh?" Freddie looked over at her as if she was nuts, wondering why she would even ask such a pointless question.

"Excuse me?" Sam also responded in the same tone.

Carly just chuckled nervously, noticing that both Sam and Freddie had the same shocked expressions on their faces. "Yeah, I think you should study with us. I mean, you're going to have to take the test too."

"So?" Sam asked bluntly.

"So....I was thinking that maybe you'd like to get a good grade for once." Carly laughed. "I mean, the last A you got was a long time ago. It was how many months? Six?"

"Seven." Freddie instantly corrected her.

"Seven." Carly repeated, glancing at Sam with an accusing look.

"Again...so?" Sam asked casually, not even batting an eye at the mention of lousy schoolwork.

"Ugh.." Carly moaned. "If you study with us, maybe you'll find something interesting you like learning about. Who knows?"

Sam just stared at her friend as if she were crazy. "Interesting? Are you kidding me?"

"Sam...." Carly stated slowly, trying to get her off her stubborn trait. "C'mon...It's not like you really have anything else to do."

"Yes I do! I have tons of things I need to do!" Sam replied hastily.

"Oh? Like what?" Carly chuckled, eagerly awaiting the response.

"Like...uh...find out if they're replaying that documentary about photo-synthetics on TV again." Sam huffed in response, trying to get across the point of how much she didn't want to study.

"It's photosynthesis." Freddie cut in as he corrected her.

"Yeah yeah, that. Whatever." Sam just rolled her eyes at the boy's nerdy input.

"Sam." Carly moaned once more, teetering on the edge of giving up. With a small sigh, she decided on one last attempt before backing off. "How about you do this...for me? Just this one time? I promise I won't use the friend clause for a while if you do." Carly explained truthfully.

Sam just stared back at the girl for a second before her eyes trailed down to the ground. _'Darn it! I hate when she does that 'for me?' stuff. Always gets to me for some reason. Like when she made me ask Gibby to the dance and then he....ARG! That's it! I'm not going to listen to Carly! Even if she's using the....friend...clause.'_ Sam then paused her thoughts as she continued to stare at the ground. _'But....she has been doing a lot for me....and I know I owe her.' _The blond girl furrowed her brow in thought as she tried to figure things out. After another moment or two, she finally came to a conclusion_. 'Darn it! Darn it! Darn it! I hate studying, but Carly has too much over me. I need to start doing some things for her, even if they are suckish. Fine.' _She confirmed in her head. And with that, Sam took a deep breath and looked up only to see Carly staring at her with a worried expression on her face. Freddie on the other hand had a very relaxed facial expression, as if he was just patiently waiting for her to talk. It was obvious he was already used to the sick girl going off in dreamland halfway through conversations, but Carly wasn't just yet.

"God Sam, are you ok?" Carly's voice came out worriedly.

"Huh? Yeah, why?" Sam asked quickly, confused about why her friend was so scared looking.

"You had this dead stare on your face." Carly murmured, still concerned. "It's like, you passed out with your eyes open."

"Oh, that..." Sam chuckled nervously. "It's the pills. They make me think and talk too much. I can control it sometimes, but most times I just....dunno. Fog out." Sam tried to explain as best she could considering she couldn't see how she was acting on them herself.

"Oh...alright then." Carly replied hesitantly before going back to the original question of whether or not Sam was going to study with them. "So um, you make a decision yet?"

"Yeah.." Sam sighed dejectedly. "I'll go."

"Alright, well Freddie and I are going to go upstairs." Carly explained casually as she reached over to pull out her books from her bag. "We'll be back in roughly...." Her voice then trailed off as she finally took into account what her best friend just said. "Wait a minute!" Carly's attention snapped back up towards Sam. "You'll go?!"

"Yeah." The blond girl shrugged. Carly and Freddie just stared at her with wide eyes before they looked at each other.

"What do you think?" Freddie asked the brunette girl.

"I don't know, we might have to call in the ambulance again."

"Ha. Ha." Sam growled at them. "Fine, I won't study."

"Nevermind, I'm sorry." Carly quickly replied. Sam just glared at her before sighing and rolling her eyes.

"Apology accepted." The blond girl smiled. Carly just smiled back, glad for the drugs for once.

"Ok, so where do you want to study? Here?" Freddie asked.

"Um, how about my room. I've got some Civil War websites I bookmarked last week in preparation for the test." Carly explained.

"Alright, that sounds good." Freddie smiled as he stood up.

"Wow Carls, and I thought Fredweird was the nerd." Sam smiled as Carly stood up from the couch.

"There's nothing wrong with a little preparation." Carly chuckled as she bent down and held her hand out to her friend. Sam took it and slowly pulled herself up, using Carly for strength.

"How about you girls go on and head upstairs? I can bring the books up." Freddie offered.

"Thanks." Carly smiled at him.

"No problem, just.....right after I go and use the bathroom." The boy laughed, having realized he still had to go considering Sam's prank got in the way of his earlier attempt.

"Of course." Carly nodded with a smile as Freddie turned around and left the room. She then looked back over at Sam. "Let's head up now."

"Mhm." Sam replied, slowly limping next to Carly as the girls started walking to the elevator. But as they were almost there, Carly paused as she saw Sam stop. "Hey, mind if we take the stairs?" Sam asked quietly as Carly looked over at her.

"Huh? Yeah sure." She smiled. "The doctor said it would be good to use them, so I don't see why not. But are you up to it?"

"I think so. I mean, these pills take away a lot of the pain of course, but I still feel a bit weird in the stomach and can't walk straight, but really....other than that.." Sam sighed as she took a deep breath to try and keep herself from rambling. "..I think I can do it."

"Alright then." Carly smiled as the two girls slowly walked over to the bottom of the stairs. Carly then held out her arm to Sam so she could use it for balance in case she needed it.

"Thanks." Sam replied softly as she grasped her friend's arm and slowly placed one of her feet on the first step. Carly kept the strength in her arm up as she felt Sam push down on it as she slowly pulled her body up. "Oof." Sam murmured quietly, successfully clearing the first step. By now, Carly had crept up along side her.

"You ok?"

"Actually, yeah." Sam smiled back. "I mean, I feel sorta weak and junk, but I can walk up it." And as if to confirm it, she placed her foot on the next step and pulled herself up a little more quickly. Carly noticed that Sam was still keeping a hold of her arm though, so she made sure to stay by the sick girl's side.

"Well, I'm really glad to hear that." Carly smiled, staying along with Sam's slow pace as they climbed up the steps. "Now you don't have to take the elevator."

"Oh, I'm still going to use the..urf." Sam paused talking as she hobbled up another step, Carly following right behind her. "...elevator. I'm using the steps now just to see if I can do it. But now that I know I..." Sam paused yet again as she weakly pulled herself up another step. "....can walk up the stairs, I don't have to anymore." As soon as she finished this statement, Sam finally reached the last step. Carly walked up beside her and the two girls turned around and looked back down at the staircase. "So yeah, I'm definitely going to keep using that elevator."

"Sam.." Carly just laughed as she rolled her eyes, glad to see that Sam was making lazy jokes.

"So let's get this...ugh...study session started." Sam replied with a sigh, none too thrilled about it.

"Yes, let's." Carly smiled, knowing that her best friend was very unwilling about this, but still complied. She was just glad that Sam agreed to come with them in the first place. "Since Freddie'll be up with our books soon, let's get settled into my room."

"Sounds good." Sam nodded. The two girls then started to walk/limp down the hallway.

* * *

A little bit of time had passed as Freddie made his way upstairs, books in hand. "Hey guys." He greeted them as he walked into Carly's room and stopped as he scanned the area, noticing that Sam was sitting upright in bed with her legs sprawled out in front of her. The purple comforter was over the bottom half of her body as she sat into a few pillows propped up against the head board. Carly was sitting Indian style on the mattress alongside the girl's right side.

"Hey Freddie. Got all of our US History books?"

"Right here muchachas." Freddie smiled as he walked over to the bed and handed Carly and Sam their books.

"Thanks." Carly smiled while Sam just let off a tired sigh.

The blond girl cracked open her book and looked at the tiny print alongside various pictures of what she assumed to be 'seriously old dead people'. _'Man...'_ Sam thought in her head. _'This stuff looks so boring.'_ She then stopped thinking for a moment as she brought her hand up to her mouth and yawned. _'Plus, going up the stairs was tiring. Sheesh. I can't even walk up a flight of steps without my legs feeling like jello.' _Sam sighed, remembering she was still sick._ 'Oh well, at least the bed is comfortable.'_

During this, Freddie had walked over to Carly's desk and pulled out her chair. He then rolled it over to the left side of the bed and sat down. With Carly sitting on the right side of the bed, and Freddie sitting in a chair next to the left, Sam was placed in the middle of her friends.

"Alright, so what chapter is it?" Freddie asked curiously as he flipped open his own book.

"Um.." Carly opened hers to the index as she scanned the various titles.

Meanwhile, Sam just continued to stare at the random page she opened to. _'Can barely keep my eyes open...' _She thought weakly, feeling them start to droop.

"Oh, here it is!" Carly stated as she found the proper chapter. "Page 145."

"Alrighty." Freddie replied as he flipped to the correct one.

"Got it Sam?" Carly asked as she looked over at her friend.

"Mhm, 145. All over it." Sam replied lazily, covering up another yawn with one hand as she started to flip through her book with the other. Once all three kids were on the same page, Carly decided to start.

"Ok, the teacher said we're going to have to write an essay of the causes leading up to the Civil War so we have to make sure to include the details about the South..."

"Um Carly?" Freddie cut his friend off.

"Huh?" She asked, wondering what he had to say.

"Sam's out." He explained as he pointed his thumb over to the bed. Carly's eyes followed his hand until she saw Sam, sitting against the pillows with her eyes closed and book slightly sliding from her hands and onto her stomach.

"Oh no." Carly laughed, reaching over and picking Sam's book up. "That stunt isn't going to work.."

The blond girl just stayed dead quiet and unmoving.

Carly sighed as she rolled her eyes playfully. "Uh huh Sam, you truly expect us to believe that you fell asleep this fast after waking up from a nap?"

Sam continued to stay quiet with her eyes shut as she laid against the bed lifelessly.

"How convenient for her considering we were _just _about to start studying." Freddie chuckled in response, agreeing with Carly that this was very unlikely.

"Yeah, a little _too_ convenient.." Carly replied to him with a laugh before looking back at her best friend. "Sam, I know you're awake." There was a long pause of silence as the two kids stared at their sick friend. "You snore when you're asleep, and right now you're not so sorry, the jig is up." Carly chuckled as she reached over and lightly put one of her fingers against Sam's eyelid and lifted it up carefully. Instead of seeing their friend stare back at them with a disgruntled look from being caught, Carly and Freddie saw that Sam's eye was almost completely white as it was pretty much rolled upwards. The kids then watched as her eye started to twitch back and forth as if she was trying to look at something, but they both saw how unfocused it was. She almost looked like a zombie with the dead stare she was giving as she looked past them with blank pupils. This was an abnormal feature for someone who was awake, but a pretty normal one for someone who was asleep. It was obvious that Sam wasn't faking at this point.

"Um Carly, I don't think she's..."

"...awake." Carly chuckled nervously, feeling a bit guilty as she gently took her finger off of her friend's eyelid. "Whoops!" The blond girl's eye just closed back up as she let off an irritated mumble and tilted her head to the side of the pillow. She was too out of it to even really notice what her best friend was doing to her. "Sorry." Carly apologized respectfully before looking over at Freddie. "Um I guess we lost Sam." She shrugged.

"Carly....when it comes to schoolwork, we never _had _Sam."

"Too true." Carly smiled as she and Freddie laughed. "Still, what was making her eye twitch crazily like that? The medication?"

"REM." Freddie stated simply.

"Huh?"

"Rapid eye movement. Happens to everyone during deep sleep, especially when they're dreaming." Freddie answered matter-of-factly.

"Oh." Carly answered, a bit intrigued. "But wait, you say that it happens during deep sleep?"

"Mhm."

"How in the world did Sam fall into a deep sleep after like three seconds?"

"Hey, you're the one that knows her best!" Freddie exclaimed as he held his hands up in defense. Carly just chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"I can't explain the unexplainable." She laughed as she picked up her book and re-opened it. "Now let's get this work done." Carly then glanced back over at her friend who was already starting to snore softly. "Maybe if we study near her she'll pick up on some of the stuff in her sleep."

"Possibly." Freddie laughed as he looked down at his own book. "That's how she does it in school." And with that last joke, the kids continued to study as their friend slept quietly.

* * *

**I thought it would be funny to have Sam unintentionally fall asleep when she finally agreed to study with them. Plus, it's always cute when her friends watch over her, amirite? =)**


	91. Sleep Struggle

Thirty minutes had passed as the kids were still hitting the books. Carly was sitting Indian style on the right side of the bed as her book was closed and placed off to the side of the mattress. Freddie was sitting in his chair next to the left side of the bed as he stared down intently at the pages, giving the brunette girl a quiz. Sam....well, she was still laying on her back in between the two, snoring away.

"Alright, so let me get this straight.." Carly stated hesitantly as she looked up at the ceiling, closed her eyes, and tried to focus. "One of the first causes of the Civil War was economic and social differences between the North and the South."

"Mhm." Freddie replied with a smile, keeping his eyes down at his textbook to make sure she got it right.

"States rights versus federal rights."

"Mhm."

"The fight between Slave and Non-Slave State Proponents."

"Mhm."

"Increase of abolitionists."

"Mhm."

"And..." Carly paused for a moment, momentarily forgetting the last one.

"C'mon, you got it." Freddie smiled, seeing that it was on the tip of her tongue. "Five dollar bill...penny...funky hat wearing dude."

Carly's eyes then snapped open at that last one. "Funky hat wearing dude!" She repeated happily, finally remembering. "The election of Abraham Lincoln!"

"Bingo!" Freddie laughed.

"Great! I think I've got it all down." Carly smiled. "Now how about your turn for a quiz?" She offered, reaching over to her side and picking up her book. She then settled it down in her lap as she flipped back over to the Civil War chapter.

"Sure." Freddie smiled as he closed his own, getting ready.

"Alright, let's go for the results of the Civil War this time. Name five major outcomes that occurred after..." But Carly could not finish her question as Sam let off a small moan and quickly rolled over to her right side. During this she accidentally slapped her hand against Carly's textbook, completely knocking it off the girl's lap and onto the floor with a thud. "Geeze Sam." Carly laughed as her best friend wrapped her arms around her knee and tried to snuggle into it.

"Guess she wasn't a fan of the war." Freddie laughed as he shrugged.

"Guess not." Carly chuckled in response before looking back down at the blond girl. "Alright Sam, you have to lay on your back." She stated softly as she reached over and slowly unlatched Sam's arms from around her captive leg.

"Nrm..." Sam moaned hastily, not opening her eyes as Carly slowly turned her off her side and placed her back onto her back.

"There." Carly sighed as she looked back up at Freddie. "She still has five days until she can sleep normally, so she can't start doing that."

"Yeah, I know." Freddie replied as he stood up from his chair and walked around the side of the bed to retrieve the fallen textbook. After he bent down and grabbed it, he stood back up and held it out to Carly. "Here. You wanna continue studying or..."

"Actually I want to take a break. I'm starting to get a bit hungry." Carly replied, putting a hand to her stomach.

"Me too." Freddie added, having felt the small pangs of hunger himself.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing big." The boy shrugged. "Just a snack or something."

"Popcorn?" Carly offered.

"Sure, that sounds good."

"Alright.." Carly unfolded her legs and shuffled off of her bed. "I'll pop a bag and bring it up." She explained as she started to walk towards her door. "I'll be right back."

"Ok cool." Freddie smiled as Carly left the room. And with that, he walked over and sat back down in his chair and rolled it around to face Carly's desk. "Might as well get some homework done." He spoke to himself quietly as he flipped open his homework packet and scanned through the various worksheets.

* * *

Carly finally made her way downstairs and walked into the kitchen. She opened up one of her cabinets and retrieved a microwave popcorn bag before Spencer grudgingly walked in.

"Oh hey!" She smiled at him.

"Hey." Spencer muttered back, obviously depressed.

"What's wrong?" Carly looked her brother up and down and noticed something about him that she didn't see at first. "...and why do you have bits of paper in your hair?"

"Don't ask me..." Spencer exclaimed wildly, putting his hands in his hair and shaking the paper out onto the floor. "...ask that evil....evil....fluff ball!"

"Huh?" Carly just cocked an eyebrow until she saw a gray flash in the corner of her eye. She turned around and saw Frothy sitting on top of the counter next to the computer. His tail flicked happily as a small piece of paper clung to his whiskers.

"Mrrow!" He meowed happily at Carly's presence.

"Ok Spencer..." Carly sighed, putting her hand on her hip as she looked back at her brother. "What did you do to the cat now?"

"Me?! He's the one who did it! He tore up all my new sketchpads! He's evil I tell ya!" Spencer yelled as he pointed wildly towards the animal.

"Oh c'mon.." Carly chuckled as she turned her attention back to the microwave bag of popcorn and started pulling off the plastic cover. "You can't yell at him for that. He's just a cat. He doesn't know any better."

"Oh he knows Carly..." Spencer then squinted his eyes as he glared at Frothy. "...he _knows_."

"Mrow?" Frothy mewed innocently as he crouched down and laid on his belly.

"Yeah...yeah..." Spencer started to murmur to himself as he kept his eyes on the cat. "He's definitely evil. One moment, he's acting like your best buddy. The next, he's ripping all your hard work into shreds! That cat is one sneaky customer."

"Ok sure." Carly laughed, humored by her brother's paranoia, as she walked over to the microwave and put the bag in. "Whatever you say."

"Fine, don't believe me!" Spencer exclaimed as he ran out of the kitchen, pausing for a moment as he slowly and cautiously shuffled around the counter and the cat, before he resumed running again. Carly just turned around and watched as her brother disappeared back into his room. With a small laugh, she looked back over at the microwave and pressed a few buttons before starting it. Once the machine lit up and started humming, Carly turned around and walked over to Frothy.

"You're not evil." Carly cooed as she crossed her arms and leaned over the top of the counter. "You're a big sweetie pie." And with that she reached over and started to scratch one of Frothy's ears. The cat just mewed happily, closing his eyes in comfort.

* * *

Meanwhile, back up in Carly's room, Freddie was still sitting at the girl's desk doing some of his homework. He had just finished about half of his math worksheet when he heard a slight mumble.

"Huh?" His thoughts were completely derailed off his math problem as he once again heard another low sigh, accompanied by the rustling of covers. "You alright there Sam?" Freddie asked softly, wondering if his friend was awake. The boy slowly turned in his swivel chair to look over at the bed, but to his surprise, Freddie couldn't see her. He knew Sam was there though, because of the huge lump under the covers, but it seemed as though that the blond girl had shoved her head underneath one of the pillows. Freddie also noticed that Sam had her hands on top of the pillow, holding it firmly over her head. At first Freddie just chuckled to himself, thinking that Sam was just sleeping in a funny way, but then a quick thought snapped into his head, abruptly ending the laughter.

"Wait a minute.." Freddie said to himself quietly as he continued to look at his friend. By the way Sam's hands were positioned over the pillow, her thumbs were facing towards the foot of the bed, and not the headrest, which meant.. "You're sleeping on your stomach!" Freddie exclaimed, standing upright. He was met with no other response than a low moan. What the boy thought were just simple sleep murmurs from Sam, were actually moans of discomfort.

"Hey.." Freddie replied softly, quickly walking over towards her bed. "..you can't lie on your stomach like that." He gently took the pillow off of his friend and saw that Sam was indeed sleeping on her stomach, with her head tilted to the side against the mattress. Her cheek was once again laying in a pool of drool as the sick girl moved her right hand and placed it next to her face. She let her left arm lay lazily next to her side.

"Mrm.." Sam moaned, furrowing her eyebrows in her sleep as her right hand clutched the sheets of the mattress and twisted them in her grip.

"C'mon Sam.." Freddie replied quietly, knowing that his friend wasn't allowed to sleep like this. "You're going to have to move." Once again, he was met with no response other then a soft gurgle of discomfort and what may have been pain. Freddie knew he was going to have to make Sam roll back over, but he really didn't want to wake up his friend in order to do it. "Alright.." Freddie stated softly as he reached down and pulled the covers off of Sam to reveal the girl's lazily sleeping body. Her back had started to rise up and down a bit faster as if she was trying to breathe out the pain.

Once Freddie had settled the blanket down by the foot of the bed, he looked back over at Sam and sighed. "Ok, let's have you roll over now." He explained softly, putting one of his hands against her shoulders. The blond girl just jerked her arm, shrugging him off harshly. "Hey! This is for your health!" There was a pause of silence as Freddie continued to look down at her. His face fell with a depressed sigh as he realized what he may have to do. "Alright Sam....just remember, this is so you'll feel better." And with that, he cautiously reached over and started wiggling his fingers underneath her stomach to get a grip, making sure not to go to low and hurt her wound or to go too high and disrespect her. Once the boy had his right arm wedged underneath his friend in a safe and proper position, he placed his left hand on Sam's right shoulder and took a deep breath before gently starting to turn her over.

"Nnn..." Ironically, the blond girl didn't offer much form of retaliation to this other then letting off a soft moan as her friend slowly maneuvered her body.

Freddie couldn't help but inwardly chuckle as he finished rolling Sam over onto her back. "At least you have an excuse to be lazy this time.." He smiled at the girl, who just laid against the mattress on her back in a weird contortion of limbs and tussled hair, dead to the world. Freddie gently reached over and fixed Sam up from the roll by pushing the hair out of her face and setting her arms and legs up properly. Once she was in a more comfortable and natural sleeping position, Freddie stood back up and walked over to the edge of the bed. He grasped the covers and slowly draped them back over her. By now Sam had stopped moaning and was breathing softly at a much more relaxed pace.

"Now no more moving!" Freddie pointed at her accusingly. Sam just tilted her head to the side and let off a small snore. "I figured as much.." The boy chuckled, knowing that he would have probably been given the same response had his friend been awake. With a small sigh, Freddie walked back over to Carly's desk and sat down in his seat to resume his homework.

* * *

**Just a small connecting chapter with a few character interactions. =) Carly/Freddie, Spencer/Carly, and Sam/Freddie. Oh, and we can't forget the return of Nurse Fredward Benson can we? xD**


	92. Nightfall

"You're not evil." Carly cooed as she crossed her arms and leaned over the top of the counter. "You're a big sweetie pie." And with that she reached over and started to scratch one of Frothy's ears. The cat just mewed happily, closing his eyes in comfort.

After a few minutes, the microwave let off a small ding as the popcorn finished popping. Carly walked over to a cabinet, retrieved two bowls, and put them on the counter. She then took the popcorn bag out of the microwave, pulled it open, and started to pour the warm snack into them.

"Mrow?" Frothy called out from the counter. Carly looked over at him as she walked over to the garbage can and threw out the empty bag.

"I suppose you're hungry too?" She asked as she watched the cat stand up and cock his head. "Well, you can come come up with us and eat," She smiled as she walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out two cans of Peppy Cola. After balancing the two bowls on top of each other, along with the soda cans, Carly walked back over to the counter and slung an arm around Frothy. "Up we go," The brunette girl murmured as she slowly picked up the fat gray cat with one arm and walked over to the elevator, balancing the bowls in her other.

* * *

Freddie was still sitting at the computer desk when Carly walked in.

"Hey, got the popcorn," She stated as she walked over.

"Great, it smells delicious," Freddie smiled as Carly handed him a bowl and can of soda. "I see you have Frothy too," The boy laughed.

"Yeah..," Carly smiled as she set her bowl and can of soda on the bed. "He looked hungry so I decided to bring him up to his food dish," She then walked over towards the small bowl of cat food and set Frothy down. Just as expected, the cat stuck his head into it as small crunching noises could be heard. "Alright..," Carly sighed as she walked back over to the bed and sat down. "Let the break commence," She laughed as she and Freddie held up their soda cans and clicked them. "So how was your day with Sam?" Carly smiled as she cracked open her can and rose it to her mouth to take a sip.

"Well....it was actually not that bad," Freddie explained as he took a handful of popcorn into his mouth and started to chew. Carly waited for him to continue after swallowing. "It did start off pretty unusual though."

"Unusual?"

"Mhm," Freddie nodded before cracking a small smile. "Get this..." He started to say as he reached over and set his can of soda down on the nightstand before continuing. "Sam actually ordered pizza."

"What?"

"Yup. Right after you left to go to school, she snapped up the phone, dialed a pizza place, and ordered pizza!"

"Right after I left for school...," Carly furrowed her brow in thought. "But that's when she was spacey and stuff." The brunette girl added as she took another swig of her soda.

"Yeah no kidding," Freddie chuckled. "That's why she ordered twenty pizzas."

At this point, Carly coughed a bit as she sputtered soda into her hand. "TWENTY?!"

"Yeah," Freddie just laughed as he reached over to the nightstand and pulled out a tissue to give to her.

"Why in the world would she..." But Carly was cut off as the two kids saw Spencer come in through the doorway.

"Knock knock..," He said with a smile as he tapped on the door frame with his fist. "Carly told me you guys were getting a snack, so I figured I'd see how the studying was going."

"It's good," Freddie smiled before looking over at the bed. "Though Sam faded quick."

"Nothing out of the ordinary there," Spencer laughed as he walked over and stood by the foot of the bed.

"Yeah," Freddie smiled in response.

"So, what were you guys talking about?" Spencer asked curiously, wanting to alleviate his boredom of having to clean up his massacred sketchpads.

"Well, we were discussing this little tidbit about Sam ordering pizza!" Carly exclaimed, still in awe at this.

"Oh yeah..," Spencer laughed as he looked up at the ceiling. "The pizza."

"You know about it?" Carly asked as her brother nodded.

"Yup, me and Freddo put all that stuff in the iCarly studio."

"You mean it's still here?!" Carly was in shock.

"Mhm....," Spencer then paused for a second as he smiled at her and raised his eyebrows. "Wanna see?"

"Yeah sure," Carly laughed as she got up.

"Ok, you guys go on up and check it out. I'll stay with Sam."

"Alright," Freddie laughed in response as he stood up and walked over to Carly. "Be back in a sec." And with that the two kids disappeared. During this, Spencer walked over to Freddie's chair and sat down in it. He then looked over at Sam to make sure she was alright. She was still sleeping peacefully as she let off a few quiet snores.

_'Alright, good.' _Spencer smiled down at her glad to see everything was okay. Then, just as he started to relax into the chair, Frothy jumped up onto the foot of the bed, scaring the living daylights out of him. "WUAH!" Spencer yelped in shock as he accidentally fell off the chair and hit the ground with a thud.

"Mrow?"

* * *

Meanwhile, on the third floor of the Shay apartment, Carly and Freddie had just opened the door to the studio.

"Oh wow!" Carly exclaimed, holding her nose as a giant waft of fumes flew up her nostrils. "It smells like a pizzeria in here."

"No, really?' Freddie exclaimed in fake surprise, pointing towards the giant stack of pizzas.

"Oh shutup," Carly laughed as she reached over and pushed his shoulder back.

"I'm just kidding," Freddie smiled as he looked over at her. "But yeah, it does sorta reek in here."

"We need to air things out..," Carly replied as she walked across the iCarly studio and over to the window. She stepped up on top of a chair and reached over to push the small hatch out.

Meanwhile, Freddie went over to the corner to find something else to help.

"Alright," Carly started to say as she climbed off the chair and walked back over to the stack. "Maybe that will air out the...hey," She stopped in mid sentence as she watched Freddie roll one of the iCarly props out from underneath a tarp. "Is that the big fan?"

"Of course," Freddie smiled as he grabbed the cord and bent down to plug it into the wall. But as he did this, he didn't realize the switch was already set in the on position, so once he hooked it into the outlet, the blades started to spin dramatically.

"Freddie!" Carly called out, her hair starting to blow into her eyes as she was directly in it's line of fire. "Turn it off!"

"Huh?" Freddie stood back up and turned around to see that his fan was accidentally on. He watched as Carly held out her hands to shield her eyes from the wind. Unfortunately, the blades finally gained full speed, and Freddie watched with wide eyes as the top box of the stack flew off and opened it mid air, spraying it's contents all over the girl's face.

"EEK!" Carly emitted a girly shriek as the impact of the pizza pie in her face sent her tumbling to the ground.

"Whoa! Carly!" Freddie exclaimed as he quickly flipped off the switch and ran over to help the girl. Because of his haste, Freddie's feet scraped over some of the spilled pizza and his legs flew out from under him. "AH!" The boy came crashing down hard onto his back, right next to Carly.

"Freddie!" She exclaimed, looking over to see her friend laying next to her. He just let out a soft moan.

"Owooo..." Freddie sighed as he craned his neck to look over at his friend. She was just glaring at him with a sauce covered face.

"Nice job," She sighed. Freddie just moaned as he looked back up at the ceiling and closed his eyes.

_'Smooth Benson...smooth...'

* * *

  
_Meanwhile, back in Carly's room, Spencer had pulled himself up from the fall and was sitting in the chair once again. He was currently looking up at the ceiling.

"What in the world are those kids doing up there?!" He asked himself quietly as he looked back over to the bed and noticed that Frothy had curled up next to Sam as he rested his head gently against her neck. "They wake you up too?" Spencer asked the cat softly.

Frothy just stared at him for a moment before letting out a large yawn and nestling his head back down into the crook of Sam's neck and closed his eyes. Spencer just chuckled quietly as he glanced at the both of them, Sam snoring, and Frothy purring.

_'Two of a kind.'

* * *

_

Back up in the iCarly studio, Carly and Freddie had dusted themselves off from the fall. Freddie was currently rolling the big fan back into it's corner while Carly was trying to wipe the sauce off of her face with a small hand towel used for a previous iCarly skit.

"Um, sorry about that," Freddie laughed nervously as he finished draping the tarp back over the fan.

Carly let off a small sigh as she pulled the towel from her face. "It's alright. But now I smell like pizza sauce."

"Well...," Freddie started to say as he walked back over to her. "Everybody likes pizza right?" He shrugged sheepishly.

"Right," Carly laughed as she rolled her eyes and placed the towel on one of the webshow tables.

"So....what do you want to do with all this stuff?" Freddie asked as he casually walked over to the boxes and tapped the edge of the stack with his foot. "Kinda seems like a waste."

"Um...I dunno. They're yours considering you paid for them," Carly added as she walked over and stopped next to him.

"Ugh, don't remind me. That was a lot of money," Freddie sighed pathetically as his shoulders slumped downward. "All because of Sam too."

"Well, maybe she'll..."

"She's not going to pay me back," Freddie moaned in response, cutting the brunette girl off.

"Yeah I know," Carly replied with a sympathetic smile. "So.." She then looked back at the boxes. "What do you want to do with them?"

"I don't really care," Freddie sighed. "All it is to me is a big stack of rotting money."

"Not rotting yet," Carly laughed.

"Yeah..." Freddie murmured. "Well hey, if the pizza isn't bad yet, _someone_ should get some use of it."

"That makes sense. But who would want like twenty pizza pies?" Carly thought curiously. Freddie furrowed his brow as he thought for a second.

"Hobos?" He asked with a shrug. Carly just let out a laugh.

"Hobos?"

"Yeah, why not?" Freddie smiled as he looked back over at the boxes. "I mean, who else in the world would be hungry enough to eat this much food? Well, other than Sam of course."

"Of course," Carly laughed. "Alright, so that settles it. Off to the hobos it goes!"

Freddie just chuckled at this. "Great, at least my money won't be a complete waste."

"Lets go tell Spencer about our idea." And with that the two kids walked back out of the iCarly studio.

* * *

After the kids told Spencer about what they wanted to do with the pizza, he had offered to take it to the hobos himself. It had been a few hours since he left with a wagon full of pizza, and the Seattle skyline was starting to go dark. Carly and Freddie were once again hitting the books as they tried to study for their next exam. Sam continued to sleep alongside her pet, as usual.

"If I study anymore, my brain's going to explode," Carly sighed, placing her book down in her lap.

"Me too," Freddie moaned.

"Hey guys!" Spencer greeted them cheerfully from the doorway, having returned from his pizza run.

"Oh hey," Freddie replied as he and Carly smiled. Though their smiles faltered once they saw his appearance. Spencer's hair was messy, his clothes were dirty, and one of his shoes was missing.

"Oh my gosh!" Carly exclaimed.

"What happened?!" Freddie added.

"Huh? Oh this?" Spencer laughed as he looked down at his disheveled appearance. "Yeah it's nothing. A few of the local hobos got rough with me."

"Rough?" Carly asked with uncertainty in her voice.

"Yeah, when I was handing out the pizza, one pushed me into the dirt, while another stole my shoe."

"That's awful!" Freddie's eyes widened.

"Oh no, it's fine," Spencer smiled as he put his hand in his pocket. "They came back and gave me a gift," The kids watched as the man pulled out the grungiest dirtiest sock they could have ever seen.

"OH MY GOD! THAT'S DISGUSTING!" Carly yelled out as she clamped her hands over her mouth and nose.

"Get it out of here!" Freddie added.

"Fine fine," Spencer sighed as he shoved his gift back into his pocket. "But it's the thought that counts." He shrugged with a goofy smile.

"I hope no one ever thinks of me like that," Carly just shook her head as Spencer laughed.

"But yeah, the pizza giving went great. Well, other than that one hobo who bit me."

"A hobo bit you?" Freddie's eyes widened.

"Yeah, hey, would you mind checking to see if he broke the skin?" Spencer asked as he turned around and pointed to his lower back. Freddie glanced over at Carly who held her hands up to show she wasn't going to go anywhere near Spencer, his sock, or his defected hobo skin.

"Fine...," Freddie sighed as he pulled himself off his chair and walked over to Spencer. Carly watched as the two guys walked out of the room and disappeared from view.

_'Dodged the bullet there.' _She laughed to herself quietly as she stood up from the bed and started cleaning up the now empty popcorn bowls. Once everything was stacked together, Carly was about to walk out of the room when her friend let off a small mumble. The brunette girl set the supplies on her desk and walked back over to the bed to see what was up. Carly saw that Sam's lips were moving, until the girl finally opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling.

"Urm..," Sam moaned, closing her eyes for a second as she felt a weird sensation in her stomach waking her up.

"Hey," Carly greeted her. "Have a nice sleep?"

"Huh?" Sam slowly tried to wake up as she peered at her foggy best friend. "What time is it?"

"Around seven at night," Carly answered as Sam's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Yup. You fell asleep during our study session," She confirmed.

"I did?"

"Yeah...like right away too," Carly laughed.

"Oh...oops," Sam smiled at her.

"It's alright. I never expected you to actually study anyways," Carly chuckled. "But still, Freddie and I were hoping that maybe some of it got into your head while you were sleeping. Dream about anything having to do with the Civil War?"

"Uh...," Sam paused for a moment as she tried to think. "Not really. All I could remember is dreaming about popcorn and pizza."

Carly couldn't help but start laughing at this. "Wow, Sam, wow..."

"Sorry..," Sam smiled sheepishly as she shrugged. Just then another pang of discomfort went through her stomach, and the blond girl realized what it was as she pulled herself up slowly and weakly with a grimace.

"Are you alright?" Carly asked worriedly as she saw her friend grit her teeth once she sat up.

"Yeah yeah...," Sam let off a heavy sigh. "It's just that junk your brother gave me."

"Junk?"

"The milk of magnesia stuff. Works a little too well. It's been having me run back and forth to the bathroom all day."

"Oh!" Carly laughed, not expecting that answer. "Well I guess that's better than what your previous condition was."

"Yeah, only by a bit..," Sam chuckled before once again grimacing as she held her stomach. "Sorry Carls...but I gotta..."

"Yeah no problem," Carly nodded, showing she understood.

"Thanks," Sam replied gratefully. "It's a lot easier telling you. With Freddie around, I had to go and make up stupid excuses," She added as she tried to shuffle off the bed. Carly got up and walked over to help her out.

"Excuses?"

"Yeah," Sam replied as she took Carly's hand and hoisted herself up. "Right before we were going to play video games, I told him I had to leave because you and I had to share a secret text conversation."

"Text conversation? But he can't see.."

"Stupid. Like I said," Sam smiled as they both laughed. Just then a voice for the doorway startled both of the girls.

"You know...I _was_ wondering about that," Freddie smiled casually as he leaned against the doorway. Sam's attention just snapped over to him as her eyes widened. It took her a second for her to realize what he just heard.

"Why were you ease dropping?!" Sam muttered hastily, her embarrassment mixing with anger.

"Whoa whoa! I wasn't! I just came back to grab my books and accidentally overheard. Sorry!" Freddie apologized as he walked over. "So...how are you feeling?"

"I think you know," Sam moaned as she started to feel her cheeks go red.

Freddie realized she was a bit embarrassed at him overhearing her, so he decided to make her feel a bit better. "Well....just so this puts us on equal ground, my mom has a whole cabinet filled with milk of magnesia."

"Huh?" Sam asked awkwardly as she and Carly looked over at him.

"And yes..," Freddie rolled his eyes. "It was for me."

"W-why?" Carly asked with a giggle.

"Can't a guy have some trouble too?!" Freddie replied quickly as he noticed the girls were starting to smile.

"But a whole cabinet? Oh my, Freddie.." Sam started to say, her lips quivering.

"So my mom goes a little over protective in buying junk for me!" Freddie tried to explain, realizing his plan was backfiring on him. "She always buys medicine in excess."

"Still, that's a lot of laxat...," Sam was cut off as Freddie moaned.

"Hey, weren't you guys talking about something?" He added, trying to remind Sam he was trying to make her feel better about _her _embarrassment, and not giving her a free ticket to laugh at him.

Sam just rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine."

Freddie smiled, glad that she gave up easily on insults. He then watched as she placed her hand back on her stomach and winced. "Um alright, so I was thinking I'd head off for the night?"

"That's a good idea," Carly nodded. "We have that test tomorrow."

"Yeah, good luck with that by the way...both of you..," Sam replied quietly.

"Thanks," Freddie smiled back at her. "So...I'll see you guys tomorrow?"

"Mhm," Carly nodded.

"Alright, have a good night!" Freddie replied as he started to walk to the door.

"Bye!" Carly gave him a wave.

Meanwhile, during this, Sam looked down at the floor and thought for a moment. "Freddie wait!" She called out hastily as the boy turned around just before he disappeared.

"Yeah?" He asked curiously as he saw Sam limp over to him.

"Um....thanks...for ya know, the games, and well stuff..," The blond girl's eyes trailed to the floor as she held up her hand.

Freddie stared at her for a moment before he looked down at her hand and smiled. "Yeah, no problem." He then reached over and gently shook her hand as she looked back up at them. The two kids smiled at each other before they broke off the hand shake. "I'll leave the games here for you. Feel better," Freddie nodded at her with a warm smile before looking up at Carly. "Get some rest you guys," And with that, Freddie turned back around and left. Sam just stood there staring at the empty door frame for a total of five seconds when the silence was broken.

"Awwwww....," Carly started with a smile, watching as Sam quickly turned back around and glared at her. As polite as her best friend was, Sam knew Carly wasn't go to let _that_ go without a comment.

"What?" Sam asked, trying to keep her voice monotonous.

"You're friendship with Freddie...it's cute," Carly smiled as she clamped her lips together tight.

"What?! I'm not friends with that...that dork..." Sam huffed, starting to limp past her friend as she held her side. "He just...didn't get on my nerves as much today, okay?"

"Whatever you say Sam," Carly chimed as he held her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on the balls of her heels.

Sam just sighed and kept her head down as she limped away. "I'm going to the bathroom, bye," She muttered as she hastily walked into the room and shut the door with a click.

Carly just rolled her eyes and laughed before she walked up to the closed door. "Need anything?"

"Um, I think I've got pretty much everything I need in here!" Sam responded quickly.

"Alright alright," Carly laughed. And with that she walked over to her closet and pulled out a drawer to rifle for some pajama pants.

* * *

More time had passed as the girls had finished up getting ready for the night and were settled into bed, watching TV. Spencer had already came in and given Sam her next dose of Percocet and left. The two of them were ready for sleep as Carly had a big test, and Sam just felt drained.

_'I slept for hours today, and I still feel tired. Normally I enjoy sleeping, but even I'm starting to get sick of it.'_ Sam then paused her thoughts as she let out a huge yawn. '_Then again...staying awake is worse. My head is starting to hurt again.'_ Sam sighed as she looked down at the covers over her waist. _'And the room feels colder...' _The blond girl then snuggled under them so her shoulders were covered as she relaxed her head into her pillow. Carly felt this small movement and looked over at her friend.

"Going to sleep?"

"Mhm," Sam nodded lazily.

"Alright," Carly replied as she looked back over at the TV and shuffled lower in the covers as well. Sam watched as the brunette girl folded her arms over top of the comforter, and continued to watch TV.

With a small sigh of relaxation, Sam felt content enough to go to sleep at this point. Soon enough, the blond girl was out.

* * *

**I liked writing this chapter! It was fun to get a little more Creddie friendship stuff in before Freddie headed out for the night! ^_^ Also, some funny Spencer/Hobo/Frothy scenes along with a little Carly/Sam goodness. =)  
**

**(And a sidenote: Ok, so I was thinking about it, but I wasn't really sure how the layout of the Shay apartment went.. (Or if I referenced the floors earlier in this story in a different way.) But now that I've thought it, I decided that the iCarly studio would be the top floor, while Carly's bedroom is the second floor, and the main loft is the first. I chose this way because it seems that the iCarly studio had high, attic like ceilings, so I figured that would be the highest floor. I think Dan Schneider said somewhere which floor is what, but I forget, so I'm going with that layout. :P**)** ---Oh and I do know that they're on the 8th floor altogether! It's just I wasn't sure how the three levels went.**


	93. Tuesday's Gone

"Going to sleep?"

"Mhm," Sam nodded lazily.

"Alright," Carly replied as she looked back over at the TV and shuffled lower in the covers as well. Sam watched as the brunette girl folded her arms over top of the comforter, and continued to watch TV.

With a small sigh of relaxation, Sam felt content enough to go to sleep at this point. Soon enough, the blond girl was out.

Carly continued to watch TV for a little while longer when she started hearing the soft quiet noises of her friend snoring next to her. She looked over and saw that her best friend was asleep. She also noticed that Frothy had curled up by Sam's covered feet as the two slept against each other. Carly was glad to see that Sam wasn't having trouble falling asleep as she had been previous nights, and with that thought, the brunette girl turned her attention back to the television. Carly's eyes trailed over to the clock as she saw that it was almost eight at night. Even though it was still a bit early, she found no harm in going to bed at this time, especially since things were calming down and everyone was alright. With a small sigh, Carly closed her eyes lids as the sounds of the TV slowly started to disappear into her sleep.

* * *

Time had passed and it was now in the middle of the night. The girls' room was completely dark as Spencer had come in a bit earlier to find them both sleeping. He shut the TV off for them so they could rest without the disturbance of the light.

All was well in the Shay apartment until a small noise broke the brunette girl out of her sleep. "Hm?" Carly cracked an eye open as the soft sounds continued to wake her up. As she lifted her tired head off her pillow, she struggled to open her eyes as the sounds became more defined.

"Owwhhhohohowww..."

"Huh?" Carly lazily opened her eyes up and had to focus her eyesight before she could see anything. As soon as she got her vision back, she realized one important aspect. The room was pitch black and it didn't matter if her eyes were closed or not. But despite being blind for the most part, the brunette girl's ears focused in on the sound and helped her figure out what it was.

"Nnrr...ow...oh..."

"Sam?" Carly asked quietly, hearing her friend let off a few mumbles next to her. There was a pause in the moans as she could hear Sam take a deep breath.

"Mmmrrrm...."

Whatever was going on, Carly knew her friend was in some sort of discomfort by her small whimpers. "Sam? Are you ok?" Carly slowly dragged herself closer to the girl but was met with no response other than another small groan.

"Nr.."

_'Maybe she's having a nightmare....'_ Carly thought, hesitant about waking Sam up. _'Still, if it's as bad as it sounds, I think I should.' _And with that decision, Carly gently reached over in the dark and patted around the bed to try and find Sam's shoulder. Once she found it, she gently shook her friend. "Hey Sam? You alright?" Again, the blond girl only responded with a soft mumble.

"Oww..."

"C'mon Sam, wake up," Carly whispered, giving her friend another small shake. Although, she stopped for a moment when she noticed an odd feeling from Sam's shoulder. "Wait a second..," Carly spoke to herself quietly as she felt the soft curve of Sam's bone. "This is her shoulder blade..," Carly realized, knowing that the human body didn't work that way. She then gently patted up along Sam's neck and felt the groove of her jawline, only to find it wedged face down into her pillow. "Hey! You're sleeping on your stomach!" Carly finally figured out, placing her hand softly against Sam's back.

"Urrmm.."

"You're going to hurt yourself!" Carly exclaimed, sitting upright. She listened as her friend let off a few more moans, signaling that she was not only asleep, but in a bit of pain. "Ok, that's it, you're turning over," Carly stated firmly. "But how?" The brunette girl asked herself as she realized that because Sam was laying on her stomach and was already too close to the edge of the bed, there was no way she could be rolled over. As Carly contemplated the idea of just waking Sam up, her friend's moan broke her out of her thought.

"Urr...."

"Fine!" Carly exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation as she pulled the covers off of the ailing girl. "You can have the middle of the bed!" She added, deciding that if she couldn't roll her friend towards the edge of the mattress, then she would have to roll her towards the middle. And with that last thought, Carly reached over Sam's back and lightly grasped her right shoulder. "Oof!" She mumbled, pulling Sam's shoulder towards her as gently as she could without hurting her friend's wound. Slowly and carefully, Carly started to roll Sam over towards her. The blond girl's body stayed lifeless the entire time, making it that much more difficult for her friend. "There." Carly let out a sigh of exasperation as she finally settled her friend onto her back once more.

"Mm..," Sam just let out a small sigh of comfort, having been relieved of the pressure on her abdomen.

After fixing Sam up so she was laying comfortably, Carly pulled the covers back over her and sighed. She herself had now been pushed closer to the edge of the mattress because her best friend was laying directly in the middle. Carly quickly realized she had to be careful when sleeping because she could easily fall off if she made a wrong move. With this thought in mind, Carly shuffled back down under the covers and rested her head on her pillow, trying to stay as still as possible so she wouldn't roll off the bed. With a small sigh, she closed her eyes to try and regain sleep.

Unfortunately Sam just let off another soft mumble of relief as she tilted her head against her pillow and stretched out her arms.

"Oof," Carly's breath hitched in her throat as Sam harshly pushed her arm into the girl's stomach by mistake, squishing her best friend even closer to the edge. "Geeze Sam..," Carly stated quietly, lightly picking up the blond girl's arm and resettling it next to her side. "You practically have the whole bed." She sighed, noticing that her best friend was now hogging up most of the mattress. Sam just stayed quiet, completely dead to the world. Carly sighed tiredly at this fact. "Well...at least give me your arm so I don't fall off," The brunette girl chuckled lightly as she curled herself around Sam's right arm and hugged onto it for some sort of balance.

"Mm..." The blond girl let off another quiet sigh of content in her sleep.

"Yeah...," Carly rolled her eyes jokingly as she looked over at the spot where Sam was laying, despite not being able to see. "..you just enjoy this while you can ok?" She chuckled to herself, figuring it was an alright trade off to feel like a sardine in her own bed as long as her friend was no longer in any more pain. And with that, Carly took a deep breath and sighed as she began to fall asleep right next to Sam's side.

* * *

**Another small connecting chapter! (****Sorry if you guys get a bit bored of them, but I really think they add a lot of fun to the story as well as heartwarming details. --Which I need to build up for future revelations-- ****Plus....I really like writing out these scenes-in between-scenes as they give me something to do with my boredom. ^^)**

**But don't worry! The next chapter WON'T be a connector for sure! It's key to the big picture!  
**

**(And a little extra sidenote- Isn't it funny how Sam still makes it hard for everyone around her even when she's asleep? xD IE. Freddie being nervous when she's sleeping against him, or Carly almost getting pushed off her own bed....etc. Oh Sam. ;D)**


	94. Final Bump In The Road

**Edit:  
**

**Ok, so first of all I want to apologize for the stupid story alerts. Someone notified me that like a ton of my chapters disappeared after I tried putting up the next chapter, and for whatever reason, they were indeed gone. I tried putting them all back, but the 95th won't seem to work at all. I don't understand why this is happening, but it's kind of annoying.. (thankfully I have my chapters saved. -_-) I might try again tomorrow to re-update, or I might just post the newest chapter on the other site. Either way, I'll fine a way around it. xP  
**

* * *

It was now very early in the morning, around four am, when Sam started to stir from her sleep.

_'Oh...' _She thought weakly, realizing that with each waking moment, her head felt like it was going to split into two. Also, the temperature of the room seemed to have dropped drastically since she went to sleep. Either that or she was having chills. Sam wasn't sure either way, but all she knew was that the throbs in her skull were becoming a bit harsher with each second until she finally woke up. _'I feel like I was repeatedly punched in the head..'_ Sam sighed, closing her eyes as she went to put her hand against her head to try and calm the heartbeat in her temples down. Although when the blond girl attempted to move, she realized she couldn't lift her arm.

"Whuh?" Sam lazily turned her head over towards her right side and tried to figure out what was going on. At first she thought it was just her weak body giving out on her as usual, but then she quickly realized that something was pinning her down. Sam squinted her eyes to try and see what it was but unfortunately it was still pitch black in the room so there was no way to tell. Sam just paused, sitting in the dark for a moment, until she realized that whatever was holding her arm down was soft and warm, giving her right side some relief from the chilly room. Deciding to do a guess and test, Sam gently moved her arm back and forth. Upon doing this, the lump attached to her gave a soft mumble.

"Mm..."

Sam instantly recognized the voice. "Carly?" She asked quietly. The brunette girl did not say a word as she was still in a dead sleep, currently resting her cheek against her friend's arm. Once Sam was met with no response, she turned her head back against her pillow and looked at the black ceiling on top of her.

_'God...I feel horrible.'_ She sighed, closing her eyes. She then opened them up again when Carly mumbled again, softly hugging Sam's arm tighter. The blond girl just looked back over at her and sighed contentedly in the dark. Even though she was feeling weak and sick, Carly was bringing her a bit of comfort, and with that thought, Sam decided to just go back to sleep. With one last sigh, Sam shut her eyes and started to drift off, allowing Carly to continuing using her arm as a pillow.

* * *

More time had passed as the sun had started to peak over the Seattle Skyline. Carly let off a soft moan as she started to wake up. During this, she gently unhooked her arms from around Sam's and lazily opened her eyes. She slowly sat up and glanced over at her alarm clock to check the time. It was 6:42 in the morning so she had about an hour and twenty minutes to shower, eat breakfast, and head off to school. The brunette girl pulled the purple comforter off her body and shuffled her legs over the side of the bed. After stretching the cramps out of her arms, she put her feet to the floor and stood up. Carly then turned back around towards the bed and saw that Sam was still asleep. The blond girl had her left arm draped over her stomach as her right one was just lazily sprawled out across the mattress next to her. Carly also noticed that Sam was snoring a bit louder than usual which meant she had to be in deep sleep. By the looks of things, it was pretty obvious the girl was conked out and wasn't going to wake up for a while. Carly quietly walked past the foot of the bed and over to Sam's side, where she fixed up and smoothed over the covers on her friend that had been tussled about throughout the night. Satisfied, the brunette girl took a step back and looked down at her best friend.

"Well, at least I didn't roll off of the bed because of you," Carly chuckled, quite amazed that she had made it through the night. She then squinted as she noticed yet another familiar detail of Sam Puckett's sleeping habits. _"And stop drooling on my pillows!" _Carly whispered jokingly. The sick girl just let off a snore in response. Carly chuckled quietly and turned around as she made her way over to her bathroom.

* * *

After having finished getting ready for school, Carly made her way downstairs and walked into the kitchen. The table was fixed up with a nice pitcher of orange juice, a few cups, a syrup bottle, and some clean plates. Spencer currently had his back turned to Carly as he was fixing up some pancakes for breakfast. He was now shuffling a fresh batch onto a plate when she greeted him.

"Hey Spencer, I-"

Upon hearing his sister's voice, Spencer dropped what he was doing, grabbed something from the counter, and spun around with wide eyes. "Here's your notebook! Don't kill me!" The man exclaimed, holding up the red book against his chest like a shield.

"Whoa, someone's a bit jumpy today," Carly laughed as she reached over and took her notebook from him.

"With good reason!" Spencer huffed. "Yesterday morning you went bananas and knocked me down looking for your notebook!"

"Yeah," Carly chuckled. "Sorry bout that."

Spencer glared at her jokingly for a second more before he lightened his expression and smiled. "Yeah it's ok. Look!" He exclaimed, pointing to the stove dramatically. "I made pancakes!"

"Yum!" Carly laughed as she walked over to the kitchen table and sat down while Spencer brought all the supplies over and sat down across from her.

"So, where's Sam?" Spencer asked as he reached over and handed a plate to his sister.

"Still asleep," Carly answered, picking up her fork and sticking it into the tower of pancakes. "I think she's going to be for a while."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she just had that sorta 'look'. The kind she gets in history class."

Spencer laughed at his sister's explanation, knowing the look she was talking about. The blond girl often had it when she took naps on their couch. "Alright then. So am I driving you to school?"

"Actually Freddie texted me this morning. Mrs. Benson offered to take us."

"That's cool," Spencer smiled as he watched Carly take a bite of her pancakes.

"Mmmmm..," She paused as she swallowed. "These are good!"

"Why thank you," Spencer held a hand up to his cheek as he faked a blush. "I don't like to toot my own horn but....toot toot!" He pretended to pull on an imaginary horn string.

"Oh shutup," Carly laughed as she rolled her eyes and took another bite.

"That's appreciation for ya," Spencer sighed as he shook his head in fake disappointment. And with that the Shays continued to eat their breakfast.

* * *

By now the Bensons had picked Carly up for school, and it had been a few hours since they left. Spencer had checked in on Sam a few times to see if she was alright, but the blond girl still remained asleep. Not wanting to bother her, he just decided to leave her alone until she wanted to wake up.

Finally, the girl started to stir once more as she slowly opened her eyes. At first Sam just laid there in the bed for a moment, adjusting to coming out of her deep sleep. Once again, she sighed depressingly as her previous headache slowly returned.

"Probably never left.." Sam moaned, tilting her head to the side and pinching the bridge of her nose with her right hand. Once the pressure was alleviated for the time being, Sam closed her eyes and let out a sigh. Unfortunately the icy chill also returned and ruined this sense of comfort, instantly reminding Sam of another detail.

"Huh?" The blond girl opened her eyes back up and realized that her right arm was no longer pinned down. Sam looked over to her side and saw that Carly was gone. After sneaking a quick glance over at the clock, her face fell in depression as she realized her best friend was at school. Sam let off a heavy sigh as she closed her eyes and put an arm over her face, feeling too weak and cold to do anything.

_'I'm not feeling too good.' _Sam thought weakly, not wanting to move as she gulped her dry throat a few times. _'But I need a drink...'

* * *

_

During this, Spencer was currently humming to himself as he sat down at the kitchen counter next to the computer and continued to draw in what was left of his sketchpads. He had plenty of work to do considering a furry little troublemaker ruined all of his other sketches. As Spencer was putting the finishing touches on one of his first drafts, he looked up as he noticed Sam walking past him and into the kitchen. At first he was caught off guard at this because she didn't greet him and he didn't even hear the elevator, but quickly deduced that she must have used the stairs. He smiled at this thought, deciding it could be because she felt better.

"Hey there Sam! Didn't see you all morning! How's it goin.." Spencer paused though when Sam stopped in the middle of the kitchen and turned around to look at him. At this point he really saw how she looked as her skin had a very pale shade to it, and the rim of her eyes were red. Spencer could tell something was obviously wrong. Even though she had looked ill the past few days, her appearance had gotten a little better each one ever since the surgery. But now it looked as though it was going in retrograde. She looked as sick as she did back when she came home from the hospital. "Sam, are you alright?" Spencer stated softly as he quickly stood up. The girl looked down at the floor in a tired and lifeless gaze.

"I'm just thirsty.." She mumbled quietly. "I wanted a drink of water.."

Spencer looked at her for a moment and saw how clouded over her eyes were. By her appearance and mood, it was clear that she was off. "Alright...I'll get you one," Spencer replied quietly as he walked into the kitchen and over to the fridge to pull out a water bottle. As he did this, Sam slowly limped over to the counter and sat down on one of the stools, avoiding conversation. She stayed quiet as he turned back around and opened it up. "Here you go," Spencer handed her the bottle and she took it without a word. He watched as she closed her eyes and rose it to her mouth and drank it, almost chugging it. After finishing up about half of the contents, Sam set the bottle down on the table and wiped off her mouth with the back of her hand.

"That good?" Spencer asked as he walked around the counter and stopped next to her.

"Yeah," Sam replied quietly, once again averting her gaze as she stared at the table top lifelessly. Spencer cocked an eyebrow of concern, and gently reached over and placed his hand against her forehead. Sam just closed her eyes, feeling too tired to say anything of protest.

"Oh man.." Spencer moaned, as he felt a bit of heat. While it wasn't too drastic or anything, he realized the girl felt a bit warmer than she had been the past few days.

"Huh?" Sam asked quietly, opening her eyes up and looking at him. Spencer gently let go of her head and glanced at her sympathetically.

"Think you got a bit of a fever kiddo. How are you feeling?"

Sam let off a sigh. "I'm tired...." She looked down at the floor. "...and when I woke up my head really started to hurt."

"Alright well, here, why don't you sit on the couch?" Spencer offered as he held out his hand to her. Sam reached over and used it to pull herself up. She still felt a bit weak in her abdomen, but her stomach muscles felt much better than they had been days ago. It was just unfortunate that for whatever reason, while her stomach was getting better, her whole body was still going through these ill funks. Slowly and softly, Spencer walked alongside the girl as the two of them made their way over to the couch. He held his hand out to her back as she sat down sluggishly. "Ok..you just sit tight," Spencer said with a nod as Sam glanced up at him tiredly. "I'm going to go get the thermometer."

"Okay," Sam stated quietly, looking back down. Spencer just stared at her for a moment before turning to walk to his bathroom.

_'Darn it. Just when I thought she was getting better... And if that fever is above 101..' _Spencer sighed as he walked into his bathroom and opened up the medicine cabinet to find the thermometer. He was feeling pretty nervous for Sam's health, and hoped that this wasn't anything serious. _'Maybe she just wore herself out with Freddie and the games yesterday, and this is a temporary funk..'_ Spencer thought hopefully. With another long sigh, he finally found the thermometer, and shut the cabinet with a click. He then walked out of his bathroom and made his way back to the living room. Once there, he saw that Sam hadn't moved from her position, and was sitting up with her eyes closed.

"Alright, let's check what's going on," Spencer stated softly as he sat down next to her left side. Sam just cracked her eyes open halfway as she opened her mouth slightly. Spencer gently placed the device under her tongue and watched as she closed her eyes once more. He could see she was too out of it to do much, so he just decided to stay quiet and stare at his watch until the time was over. The two sat in silence until Spencer looked up from his wrist. "Let's see what we have now," Spencer reached over and took the thermometer back out of Sam's mouth. She just opened her eyes slightly as she licked the roof of her mouth tiredly.

"Hmm.." Spencer's brow furrowed as he tried to read the tiny numbers. Unfortunately, once he saw the correct number, he frowned. "100.7"

"Got higher.." Sam stated in a quiet and depressed tone.

"Yeah, it did," Spencer continued to look at the thermometer. Even though the doctor said that he should be contacted if a fever went above 101 degrees, Spencer still did not want to take any chances with this, especially since she seemed to be getting better yesterday. With a sigh of regret he looked back over at Sam, having made a decision about what to do. "Hey, Sam?"

"Yeah?" She asked quietly.

"You're not going to like this, but, I was thinking that maybe I should take you back to the doctor..to get checked out and stuff." As soon as Spencer finished talking, he saw her eyes widen and uncloud as she took into account what he said.

"W-what?" She stuttered out.

"Now I know the doctor said that I should contact him if a fever went over 101 degrees, but I think yours is close enough to.." Spencer couldn't finish though as his words were cut off.

"Close enough?! It's not close enough!" Sam exclaimed, sitting forward with temporary strength.

"Take it easy," Spencer advised worriedly, watching the girl's hysteria grow slowly.

"How is it close?! I mean, that's a whole point three degrees that I need to get up to before we have to worry!"

"Sam..," Spencer stated tiredly, realizing where this was going. "Please, I just want to make sure you're ok. I know I'm sounding a bit paranoid, but if there's anything wrong, I want to catch it before anything worse happens." Once Spencer finished talking, the two stared at each other for a moment. He saw that in her eyes, she was conflicted about what to say or do next.

_'I know he's only doing this because he cares about me but..the doctor? Again?!'_ Sam thought tiredly. After taking a deep breath, she looked over at him and tried to think rationally. "I get what you're saying but...can't we wait to see if my fever goes lower?" She gave him a pleading look, not wanting to leave the apartment.

"I'm sorry Sam, really I am, but I don't want to wait with this," Spencer stated as he put his hands on his knees and pulled himself up. "C'mon, let's get ready to go.." He then held his hand out to her. Sam just stared into space for a moment until she grasped his hand and stood up. Spencer saw how depressed and nervous she looked so he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. As she looked up at him, he smiled. "Everything will be alright. After this, I'll treat you to some ice cream, or a smoothie, depending on how you feel ok? It'll just be a calm routine checkup to make sure everything is okay." Spencer then gave her another small smile. "Now why don't you go upstairs and get ready?"

Sam didn't say anything but gave him a small unemotional nod of the head. He watched as she limped over to the elevator and pressed the button. Soon after, it let out it's familiar ding and she stepped in. Once the door closed over her, Spencer sighed and smiled.

_'Well at least she's taking it better than I thought she would...'_

* * *

"SAM! GET OUT OF THE BATHROOM!" Spencer yelled pitifully to the closed door in Carly's room.

"NO!"

Spencer just sighed as he rested his forehead against the door exasperatedly, thinking back on the events that took place a few minutes ago. When he had let the blond girl go up into Carly's room to get ready to leave, he realized that she had been taking a long time, and after twenty minutes, Spencer became worried. After he made his way into his sister's room to see what was up, he had found out that Sam had locked herself in the bathroom. She was apparently keeping herself hostage, because if she didn't come out soon, she could possibly end up hurting herself. With that last thought, Spencer picked his head up once more and took a deep breath.

"I'M NOT KIDDING AROUND HERE. COME OUT NOW!"

"NO!"

"OPEN THE DOOR!"

"GO AWAY!"

"SAM!"

"SPENCER!"

And with that the man let out another sigh, deciding to go another route with this as their shouting match was going nowhere. "Please?" Spencer asked the door sweetly. "With sugar on top?"

"What are you, five?" Sam's voice spat back sarcastically.

"Hey! I'm not the one locked in a bathroom refusing to go to the doctor!" As soon as Spencer finished this, there was a long pause on the other end of the door. After a few seconds, a response finally came.

"Point taken."

"So does that mean you'll come out now?" Spencer asked as his eyebrows lifted up in hope.

"No."

The man's face fell in depression as he frowned. "C'mon Sam, come out of the bathroom!"

"Leave me alone!"

"I will not!" Spencer reached over for the door knob and jiggled it for the thousandth time to be met with the same annoying resistance of the lock. "You open this door right now!"

"No!"

"Fine!" Spencer threw up his hands in exasperation as he turned away from the door. "I didn't want to do this but..," He sighed as he walked across his sister's room and over to the bedroom door. He stood on his tippy toes and reached over the door frame and found a key, the one to Carly's bathroom. Every door in the Shay apartment had a key and lock knob, and while Spencer allowed his sister to have privacy in any room she wished, the keys were there for extra security in case there was an emergency or something.

Meanwhile, Sam just stayed quiet in the bathroom as she pressed her ear against the door, trying to listen to what Spencer was doing on the other side. It was silent until the door knob started jiggling, causing her to jump up in surprise. It was obvious that Spencer was sliding a key into it, and Sam's eyes widened as she heard the click of the tumbler. She grabbed the end of the lock on the door and tried to stop Spencer from turning the key all the way, but her weakened grip was no match for him...for once. After loosing the struggle with Spencer, Sam realized he was about to open the door.

"Don't!" She yelled as the knob started to turn. "I'm going to the bathroom!" Sam cried out as a pathetic last attempt. The door knob instantly stopped moving as Spencer paused on the other side of the door. He had his hand on the knob but looked up and stared at it for a moment, unsure of what to do.

"Sam..," He stated slowly. "Are you being honest with me?"

There was a small pause as Sam bit the bottom of her lip while leaning against the door. Even though she had no problem lying to just about every adult imaginable, including the police, Spencer was the only one she had any respect for, and this situation was making her feel extremely guilty. Still, she wasn't about to let herself be dragged off the the hospital once more without a fight.

Spencer let out another sigh as his hand rested on the door knob. While he knew Sam was trying to avoid going to the doctor, there still could have been some truth to what she was saying, especially considering he fed her laxatives yesterday. The last thing he wanted to do to her was stumble in through the door if that was the case. With another small sigh, Spencer decided on one last attempt to get the girl to come clean with him. "If you really need to use the bathroom, I'll leave, but if you're lying, you tell me the truth right now!"

Sam just let off an inaudible moan. She wasn't used to feeling guilty, but right now, Spencer was making her feel horrible with it. At this point, Sam wasn't sure what to do.

* * *

**Poor Sam..... Poor Spencer! xD This chapter was super fun to write! Looks like we have an interesting situation ahead for these two. =)**


	95. Back To The Hospital

**Alright, I FINALLY got this chapter down! While I knew what I wanted the main idea to be about, I wasn't sure how to go about writing it. So once again I need to inform you guys, I am in no way educated enough in the medical field to know how this certain scenario goes, and while I tried my best to research and get answers, I didn't find all the details I wanted to. So for all you people out there with a vast medical knowledge reading this story, please don't criticize too harshly! I tried my best to make the hospital scene interesting, even if it's not too medically accurate!**

* * *

With another small sigh, Spencer decided on one last attempt to get the girl to come clean with him. "If you really need to use the bathroom, I'll leave, but if you're lying, you tell me the truth right now!"

Sam just let off an inaudible moan. She wasn't used to feeling guilty, but right now, Spencer was making her feel horrible with it. At this point, Sam wasn't sure what to do.

Meanwhile, Spencer just continued to stand there with his hand on the knob. He waited patiently for a total of twenty seconds before letting off a dragged sigh, figuring Sam wasn't going to answer him. And with that, his hand slowly slid off the door knob as he turned around. Just as he was about to walk away, an answer finally came.

"I...."

Spencer's ears perked up as he looked back over at the door to hear Sam's quiet voice.

"I'm sorry.." She finally stated, the door opening a crack to reveal a very depressed and guilty looking girl whose head hung low in shame. "It's just...I hate the hospital..."

"No, really?" Spencer added jokingly with a smile, but his smile faltered when Sam continued to look down in a depressed state. It was apparent she wasn't in the mood for jokes. "Well.." Spencer gently reached over and slung an arm around her shoulder, causing her to look up at him. "...don't worry about it! I'll be right there with you. Plus, you already went through the worst part."

Sam just stared up at him weakly as she cocked an eyebrow. There was a small period of awkward silence as the two looked at each other. If there was a cricket around, it would have been chirping.

Spencer finally broke the silence, realizing Sam had no clue what he was talking about. "Um..the surgery?" He offered with a sheepish smile, figuring she would understand without it being said.

"Oh...right..." Sam sighed.

"So....could you get ready for me? For real this time? I want to leave as soon as possible," Spencer replied quietly, hoping Sam wouldn't try any more tricks.

"I'm ready," Sam sighed.

"Oh!" Spencer replied, not thinking she would give in so fast. He then glanced at her and noticed she was in her pajamas and wasn't sure if she was aware of the fact.

Sam noticed him looking at her and she sighed. "It's a hospital, not church." She then cracked a weak smile, using one of his previous jokes against him.

"Very true!" Spencer chuckled. "Cmon, lets get downstairs."

* * *

After the two had used the elevator to go downstairs, Spencer stepped out and walked over to the counter to grab his set of keys. Meanwhile, Sam just sighed and noticed Carly's gray jacket hanging against the back of the chair in the living room. She slowly made her way over and grasped the article of clothing. It was the one her best friend had given to her to use when she came home from the hospital.

_'Appropriate...'_ Sam thought, picking it up and slipping it on. _'....considering I'm going back to the hospital.'_ She moaned in her head, looking down as she connected the zipper and pulled it up, closing the jacket. _'Well at least I can do this by myself..'_ She thought with a tired chuckle, remembering how even using a zipper was too much work for her right after the surgery.

* * *

After getting set, the two had made their way downstairs and were now standing outside the Bushwell Plaza's main entrance.

"Alright, I'll go get the car and bring it around. Will you be ok if I leave you for a second?" Spencer asked, not wanting Sam to exert any more energy than needed as she already looked beat.

"Sure, I'm ok," Sam replied quietly as she slowly knelt down and sat on the bottom of the steps. She kept her hands in her pockets and stared at the ground in a tired gaze. Spencer gave her a small sympathetic smile before turning around and walking down the sidewalk towards the parking lot. Once the man disappeared from sight, Sam just let off a heavy sigh. After waiting a little bit, Spencer finally drove the car out of the parking lot and stopped at the main entrance.

Sam grudgingly started to pull herself up to her feet as Spencer got out of the car and walked over to her. He held out his hand and helped her the rest of the way up. Sam just sighed, feeling too tired to debate this. Once standing, the two walked over to the car as Spencer opened the passenger side door for her.

"M'lady.." He bowed drastically as Sam cocked an eyebrow.

"M'Moron," She gave a small smile as she climbed into the car and sat down with a wince.

Spencer just stood up straight and put one of his hands over his mouth as he let out an exaggerated gasp. "Hath thine wench insulteth me?"

"Indeed she hath," Sam laughed weakly as she buckled her seat belt and rolled her eyes. Spencer was the only person in the world who could call her a wench without ending up with a black eye. "But can we stop talking like this? It's giving me a headache," She moaned, as the pounding in her head continued, reminding her it was too tiring to keep a joke going.

"Of course m'lady..uh I mean m'Sam!" Spencer gave a small chuckle before grasping the car door. "Watch your feet." He instructed her softly before shutting it. And with that the man made his way around the back and over to the driver's side.

Sam just sat quietly with her eyes closed as Spencer walked around the car. She was trying to keep her cool as best as she could, but was in actuality really freaked out about going back to the hospital. Of course, like Spencer said, the worst part was over, but that still didn't mean she had to enjoy doing this. With a small sigh, Sam opened her eyes, looked to the right of the seat and pulled the recline lever.

_'Figure if I'm going to get poked and prodded again, might as well enjoy what little time I have left.' _She thought dejectedly, reclining the seat back a few inches so she could lay back a bit. At this time, Spencer finally opened the driver's side door and climbed in. After shutting the door, he snapped in his seat belt, and looked over at Sam.

"Comfy?" He asked.

"Sorta," Sam sighed as she reached over and turned the knob on the heater, putting it up a few notches.

"Still getting those chills huh?"

"Yeah.."

"Well here.." Spencer started to say as he turned around and looked towards the back of the car. "I have something that might GURK!" Spencer was cut off as he tried to reach into the back, but was hastily stopped by the automatic lock feature of the seat belt.

Sam just smiled as she watched Spencer sit back into place, tussle around with the seat belt for a bit, before attempting once more to reach into the back. Unsurprisingly the man was met with the resistance yet again as the seat belt kept his neck in a choke hold.

"ARG!" Spencer cried out, grabbing the seat belt across his chest and twisting it in his fists as he fumbled wildly. "LEMME GO!"

Sam just continued to watch, highly amused by the man wrestling with an inanimate object. But after roughly ten seconds had passed, she realized she had been entertained long enough. "Spencer!" She cried out, making him look at her.

"Huh?"

Sam just stayed silent as she slowly reached over and clicked the button on his seat belt's clasp. The fabric snake hummed softly as it slid up and out of the way, freeing it's captive victim.

"Oh, right," Spencer laughed. "That works too. Anyways, here, take this.." The man then once again turned around and searched the backseat for something. Sam watched as he pulled out a light purple blanket. "It's Carly's. Whenever we go up to Yakima to visit Granddad, she usually falls asleep on the way home. He then reached over and spread the blanket across Sam's body. At that moment, Sam could have almost jumped up and pulled the man into a hug, as that was how good it felt to be covered up.

"Thank you," She replied gratefully, snuggling into the blanket as she rested her head against the seat.

"You're welcome," Spencer smiled, glad that he could help make her a bit more comfortable. And with that, he put the car into drive and gave it some gas. As he drove out of the Bushwell Plaza area, Sam just sighed and closed her eyes for the duration of the ride.

* * *

Time had passed until they finally got to the hospital. Once they got through the main gates, Spencer drove into the parking lot, and started looking around for a spot. He wanted to get a close one so his passenger wouldn't have a long way to walk. During this, Sam stayed dead silent as she just glanced at the big building. It was a very depressing sight at this point, and she just closed her eyes with a small gulp. _'Man, what I wouldn't give to be at the apartment right now..'_ She whimpered pathetically in her mind. By now, Spencer had finally found a spot and was pulling into it. Sam just kept her eyes closed, trying to pull a 'Wizard of Oz', and wake up somewhere else. Unfortunately, as soon as she heard the engine shut off, there was a small tap on her shoulder. Sam opened her eyes to see Spencer looking at her with a concerned face.

"You alright?"

"No...but that's not going to change anything," Sam mumbled in response as she lazily pulled off her blanket and placed it onto the floor, instantly saddened by it's comfort leaving her body.

"I know.." Spencer replied sympathetically as he clicked off his seat belt and got out of the car. As he made his way around to her side, Sam clicked off her seat belt and sighed. Finally the man opened the door for her.

"Easy now," He stated softly as Sam started to climb out.

"I'm not an old woman," She moaned in response.

"Right," Spencer chuckled nervously as the girl finally climbed out of the car.

_'Though I sure as heck feel like one..'_ Sam thought tiredly._ 'I'm so not up for this.'_ She thought as she hobbled alongside Spencer through the parking lot and into the main doors of the building. Once in the lobby, Spencer led Sam to the main desk. There was a woman sitting there, reading some papers.

"Um hello, I called earlier to schedule a checkup."

"Hm? Name please?" The woman asked as she looked up at him.

"Spencer Shay," He answered as she looked in her files.

"Um sir, your name isn't in the file," She cocked her eyebrow awkwardly. Sam just sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Try Sam Puckett," She moaned as Spencer laughed nervously.

"Hm...Puckett...Puckett...ah here we are!" The woman smiled. "Just go down that hallway and wait in room 234. First door on the left. A nurse will be with you soon."

"Thanks," Spencer smiled as he and Sam turned around and walked towards the hallway.

* * *

Once they got to the proper room, they stepped inside and took in the surroundings. It was an ordinary, small, checkup room. There were cabinets, a sink, a few waiting chairs, and a cushioned checkup table. It was a very sullen atmosphere and Sam hadn't said a word the entire time. Spencer respected the fact that she did not want to talk, so he stayed just as quiet for her. Almost immediately, the knob turned and the two turned around as a nurse walked in.

"Oh, hello. I'm Nurse Conklin. I assume you're Samantha?" The nurse smiled kindly as Sam nodded tiredly. "Well why don't you just hop up here and we'll get this checkup started."

"Kay.." Sam replied quietly, as she hobbled over to a step stool and slowly climbed up onto the table where she sat upright with her feet dangling over. Meanwhile, Spencer took a seat in one of the chairs as he let the nurse do her routine.

"Alright, now since you had an appendectomy a few days ago, I'm going to check your temperature and incision site." The nurse explained, retrieving a clean thermometer from the cabinet and wiping it off with a cloth. "Here, put this in your mouth."

"Kay..." Sam replied tiredly once more, not wanting to talk, or have the nurse explain everything to her. She just stayed quiet as the woman walked over and placed the device under her tongue. Afterward, the woman reached over and gently rolled Sam's shirt up enough to reveal the bandaged area. Sam just stayed quiet and unmoving. She realized that if she fought back in anyway, the checkup would last longer. For once in her life, Sam was going to remain quiet and obedient if it meant getting out of there faster.

"Let's see what we have here.." The nurse explained softly as she slowly took off the bandage. Spencer just stayed quiet as he watched the woman work. Eventually the bandage was removed, and the cut was open to the air. At first glance it looked normal, but Spencer squinted his eyes as he realized a bit of a difference from the last time he saw it.

"Hm, looks a bit red," The nurse replied quietly, speaking Spencer's thoughts.

"It looked red before," Sam mumbled with the thermometer in her mouth, looking down at her stomach. The last thing she wanted was the nurse to find something wrong with her, so she tried to persuade herself and everyone else that it was nothing.

"Well, we're still going to check that out," The nurse explained calmly, placing a new bandage over it. Sam just sighed as the woman finished up.

"Ok, now let's see your temperature," She reached over and pulled it out of Sam's mouth. "100.7, ok.." She spoke to herself quietly, picking up her clipboard and scribbling down a few notes. Spencer and Sam just stayed quiet until she finally turned her attention back over to them.

"Alright, now I'm just going to ask you a few routine questions. Answer them honestly, ok?" The nurse asked Sam.

"Ok, just get on with it..." Sam let out a long and heavy sigh, wanting to get straight to the details so she could get out of there.

"Do you smoke?"

Sam cocked an eyebrow as she glanced over at Spencer curiously before looking back at the nurse. "No."

"Have you taken any recreational drugs, such as marijuana?"

"No and I just said I don't smoke," Sam grit her teeth. The nurse paused for a moment to look back up at her.

"Sorry, the original question was for cigarettes. Now, do you drink any form of alcohol? And if so, how much do you consume daily?"

"Is this a hospital or am I in rehab?" Sam spat back. "I don't do drugs or drink!"

Spencer just sat quietly in the corner, a bit humored by the exchange of words. He knew that Sam wasn't the type of person to try those things, but the poor nurse unfortunately had to go through routine with her.

"Alright that's good." The nurse replied quietly, scratching off some details on her clipboard. Sam just glared at the woman as she waited for the next stupid question. Finally the nurse looked up from her clipboard. "Now, when was your last menstrual cycle?"

Sam's eyes instantly widened as she was caught off with this. She was waiting for something more in the terms of _'Have you ever murdered anyone?' _or _'Is there something psychologically wrong with you?'_ But was in no way expecting this simple yet very invasive question. "H-huh?" She asked out weakly.

"Your last menstrual cycle?" The nurse asked once more.

Sam just took a small gulp and looked over at Spencer who was sitting in the corner. _'As if things couldn't get more embarrassing..' _She thought dejectedly.

Spencer saw Sam look over at him for a moment with a shy and bashful face, one that he had never seen on the girl before. In return he gave her a small smile of comfort. _'Maybe I should wait outside until the questions are over...'_ Spencer thought, not wanting Sam to feel more embarrassed than necessary. Just as he was about to stand up, the blond girl took a deep breath and muttered out a few words.

"Two weeks ago," She stated quietly, averting her gaze from Spencer's eyes and looking down at her hands which seemingly became more interesting than anything else in the room. Spencer looked over at her and untensed his muscles as he stayed in his seat. It was kind of a moot point to leave now.

"Alright," The nurse scribbled down a few more notes before setting the clipboard down on the counter.

"Are we done with the questions?" Sam asked quietly, not looking up.

"Mhm," The nurse replied. "Now I'm just going to bring this paperwork over to the doctor. I'll be right back," She then smiled as she left the room.

_'Well that sucked.'_ Sam thought to herself bluntly before Spencer cut her thoughts off.

"See Sam, that wasn't so bad," He replied cheerfully, trying to keep her spirits up. Unfortunately his happy expression was having an unintended reverse effect as it made Sam feel as though he was enjoying seeing her depressed and sitting in a checkup room. "Now all we have to do is sit and.."

"Don't talk to me." The blond girl muttered.

"But Sam.."

"Zzzt!"

"I just..."

"Ntttt!"

"Oh c'mon, you can't..."

"Sssst," Sam clenched her teeth, avoiding eye contact with the man as she childishly cut him off to make him stop speaking. Spencer's face just fell in disappointment. He then clasped his hands together and looked down at his lap, as if he was a child who just got yelled at. After a few more minutes of awkward silence, the nurse returned.

"Alrighty, now that the paperwork's been handed in.." She spoke to herself quietly as she walked over to a cabinet and retrieved a small clear cup wrapped in plastic. As the woman started to pull the wrapping off of it, Sam looked up hesitantly to see what she was doing. "Here you are," The nurse explained as she handed Sam the cup.

"I'm not thirsty.." Sam replied awkwardly.

"Oh," The nurse couldn't help but chuckle as Sam cocked an eyebrow at this. "It's not to drink from. We need a urine sample to test for infection," She explained as she pointed over to a small door in the office that showed a little man and woman symbol on it, obviously signaling that it was a restroom. Sam just stared at it for a moment before looking back at the nurse with wide eyes, with the cup firmly grasped in her hand. An awkward silence filled the air before the quietness was finally broken when Sam lazily started to shuffle off the table with a small wince.

"Hey need any help?" Spencer asked gently as he stood up and held his hand out to her.

"No," Sam grumbled, putting her feet to the floor and slowly hobbling to the bathroom. Spencer just watched as the girl made her way into the tiny room before turning back around to shut the door. But before she could close it completely, Sam shot him one of her deadliest glares as if to say _'Gee thanks, this is just what I needed at 9 in the morning.' _And with that, the door snapped shut with a click. Spencer just pulled at the collar of his shirt and laughed nervously.

_'I wonder if this is how Freddie feels on a daily basis..'_

Eventually Sam came back out from the room, and embarrassingly handed the nurse her sample. The nurse placed the cup in a small black box, before pulling out a needle.

"What's that?!" Sam exclaimed, her eyes widening at the sight.

"We'll also be needing a blood sample to test," The nurse explained calmly. "Now just sit up here," She replied as she patted the cushioned table once more.

_'As if things couldn't get any worse!'_ Sam screamed in her head, cautiously sitting back up on the table.

"Alright, now I'm just going to clean your arm, pop in the needle, take some blood, and things will be over before you know it," The nurse smiled as she retrieved a bottle and poured some liquid onto a small cottony pad.

"God.." Sam moaned, turning her head away as the nurse took her arm, rolled up the sleeve, and started to wipe it clean with the alcohol pad.

"Are you squeamish with needles?" The woman asked softly, noticing how tense the girl was at her touch. She had to make sure her patient wouldn't jerk during the injection.

"No!" Sam spat out angrily in defense as she glared at the nurse, miffed that the woman was insinuating she was weak. But the angry glare quickly changed to one of slight panic as she saw the needle in the nurse's hand. Just knowing that thing was going to go inside her freaked her out a bit. "I'm not squeamish..." Sam replied quietly as she looked down. Both Spencer and the nurse looked at each other, realizing Sam sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else in the room.

"Alright well...this will only hurt for a bit.." The nurse explained calmly as she reached towards Sam's arm. The girl stayed quiet as she shut her eyes and braced herself.

_'This is just like the ambulance, this is just like the ambulance...this is just....wait, the ambulance SUCKED! Oh god!'_ Sam started to breathe a bit heavier. Meanwhile, the nurse was about to insert the needle, but noticed her patient getting a bit hysterical. Spencer saw the hesitation and quickly got up from his seat and walked over to Sam.

"Hey kiddo, c'mon, easy now," Spencer stated softly as he picked up Sam's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Why am I getting so freaked?!" She asked him worriedly as her voice cracked, knowing this wasn't how she normally acted.

"You're under the weather and when you're sick, everything feels messed up and your emotions get jumbled around. Don't worry about it!" Spencer tried to reassure her. "Now c'mon, just hold my hand and it'll be over soon," He smiled at her, trying to calm her down.

"A-alright," Sam replied hesitantly, keeping a firm grasp to Spencer's hand. Once again the nurse starting searching Sam's arm for a vein, and the blond girl shuttered at the touch. Spencer decided to try and take her mind off of it.

"So...heard they opened up a few new shops at the mall," Spencer smiled as Sam looked at him.

"Yeah, so..?" She asked weakly, trying to ignore the nurse currently working on her arm.

"Thought you might want to check them out. Maybe we could go together," Spencer replied with a cautious smile, seeing that in the corner of his eye the nurse was lining up the needle. "There's a whole new section in the food court."

"The food court?" Sam asked, seemingly interested as Spencer nodded.

"Yup," He smiled sympathetically, knowing that the nurse was going for the plunge.

Meanwhile, Sam just thought for a moment, looking off into space. _'Why does this seem so familiar?' _She thought tiredly. _'I remember talking about the new stores at the food court with someone else...' _The blond girl furrowed her brow as she tried to think when. At this point the nurse had already injected her but she was too deep into her thoughts to notice. _'Yeah...'_ Sam thought. _'Freddie was talking to me about it...or I was talking to him...either way, he said...said...something about it...'_

By now, the nurse was sucking out some of Sam's blood with the needle. Spencer was just staring at the syringe, his face turning white. He would have passed out had it not been for the hand he was holding. He knew he had to stay strong for Sam, and he glanced over at the girl to see she was just staring into space. He wasn't sure if she was mentally freaking out or not, but physically, she was very complacent. Almost zombie-like.

_'Yeah...Freddie said he would buy me a meal there...' _Sam thought to herself, finally remembering a small detail from the ambulance ride she had temporarily forgotten about.

"And there we go," The nurse smiled as she removed the needle from Sam's arm, filled with blood, before placing a small band aid over the injection site.

"Um, you didn't put anything _into_ her, did you?" Spencer asked oddly as he watched Sam continue to stare into space, not responding to anything around her. The girl looked like she may have been drugged.

"Why of course not," The nurse laughed as she walked over and gathered her supplies up in the black box. "Now I'm going to get these samples sent over to the laboratory to be tested. The tests take roughly 15 minutes, so you can go visit the cafeteria in the meantime if you'd like," And with that the woman left the room, leaving Spencer still standing next to Sam and holding her hand.

"Sam?" Spencer asked worriedly.

"That nub owes me a meal!" Sam yelled out, finally coming to life as she looked up at Spencer.

"What?" He exclaimed, unsure of what she was talking about.

"Um...uh nevermind," Sam replied oddly, realizing she had been lost in her thoughts. "So, where's the nurse?" She asked awkwardly.

"She took your blood and left," Spencer replied slowly, concerned about his patient.

"Oh...that wasn't so bad," Sam gave a nervous laugh, wondering how in the world she managed to fog that out.

"Are you alright?" Spencer asked cautiously.

"Yeah, just thinking about stuff.." Sam sighed.

"About what?" Spencer asked, wondering what could have caused her to go into such a comatose state.

"Eh just Freddie," Sam shrugged. Spencer paused for a moment as he stared at her before his lips curled into a sly smirk.

"Ohoho!" The man laughed as he wiggled his eyebrows. Unfortunately he was still holding the girl's hand and she gave him a squeeze of anger which, surprisingly, was pretty strong. "OW!" He yelped out, snapping his hand away from hers.

"That's for being an idiot," Sam spat back at him, not too thrilled about his response to her statement.

"Sorry sorry! Sheesh," Spencer laughed. "So...we've got fifteen minutes free time. You wanna head to the cafeteria?"

"Whatever," Sam sighed, sliding off the table

* * *

By now Spencer and Sam had made their way over to the hospital's cafeteria and were currently sitting across each other at a table, both looking down at their plates.

"Well....what do you make of it?" Spencer asked, continuing to stare down at his tray.

"Dunno. But I think mine growled," Sam stated awkwardly as she poked the huge brown blob with a spork. Both of their eyes widened when a tiny "rrrrrr" came from the tray.

"Ok, I'm done!" Both of them exclaimed simultaneously as they stood up at the exact same time to toss out their trays.

* * *

Eventually fifteen minutes had passed, and the two of them returned back to the doctor's office. They were both sitting in the familiar yet depressing room once again, waiting for the doctor to come in and tell them what was up. Finally the knob turned in the tiny room. Both Spencer and Sam looked up as they saw Dr. Smith, the man who operated on her, walk into the room with a clipboard.

"Hello Samantha," He smiled at her.

"Anything wrong with me?" Sam asked bluntly, not wanting to go through anymore formalities. The doctor's warm smile faded a bit as he looked down at his clipboard. He realized his patient wanted to get straight to the details, so he did.

"Well, unfortunately we _did_ find a complication..."

At this point, both Sam and Spencer's heart skipped a beat as their eyes widened.

"W-what?" The blond girl asked weakly.

* * *

Time passed, and now the two were sitting in the car once more, driving out of the hospital.

"See, aren't you glad that we went to the hospital?" Spencer gave a small smile as he kept his hands against the steering wheel along with his eyes on the road in front of him. Sam just stared out of the passenger side window, watching various buildings go by slowly. She had her elbow resting on top of the armrest as she held her head up with her hand while continuing to stare out of the car with a defeated gaze.

"Glad about what?" She asked unemotionally, not bothering to look at Spencer. "That I've got a wound infection?"

"Well, I didn't mean it like that. I mean aren't you glad that we didn't waste any time for it to get more serious? You seem to have a knack for that," Spencer chuckled lightly as he glanced over at Sam. She did not budge an inch and Spencer let out a long sigh. "Well, the doctor said wound infections are a bit common after this type of surgery, and since yours was caught early enough, we avoided some serious complications. So all you have to do is pop in a few antibiotics, relax, and wait it out." Spencer snuck one last quick glance to his right to see that his passenger hadn't moved her eyes from the window.

"More pills. Yip. Pee." Sam grumbled back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. While she was on a small adrenaline rush from having to go to the hospital, the girl's temporary strength was starting to wear off and she was feeling sick and weak once more.

"Oh c'mon Sam. I took you to the doctors to make sure you were ok. You can't stay mad at me for _that_."

"I had to use a cup for a bathroom and get a needle jabbed into my arm." Sam paused for a moment as she turned her head to look over at Spencer. "...the second one in less than a week might I add." She growled, referring to her original IV.

"Well ok, I admit the checkup was a pretty suckish time for you, but still, it was all for your health." Spencer cracked a small sympathetic smile as he glanced at her before looking back at the road.

"Yes, I'm sure it was crucial to my well being for the doctors to know about the last time I had my..." Sam cut her angry rant short, not fully realizing what she was saying and who she was saying it to. After trailing off her sentence, she looked back out the window and stayed quiet.

Spencer stopped at a red light and looked at her for a moment and saw that her cheeks were flushed. It seemed as though that there were some topics even the indestructible Sam Puckett felt touchy about. With this thought he let out a small sigh.

"Well..." He chose his words carefully. "Any little thing could affect your health, especially after having surgery. I'm sure it was necessary to know."

"Not necessary for you." Sam moaned in response.

Spencer realized she seemed to still be a bit embarrassed about having to answer that certain question with him in the room and thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to show her she didn't have to feel awkward around him. And with that thought, Spencer smiled as he put a finger to his lips. "Shh, it'll be our little secret. No one has to know."

Sam looked over and paused as she stared at him, asking herself if the man truly just said that to her or not. After a moment of consideration, she then rolled her eyes and started chuckling at how stupid his response sounded. "Wow," She just shook her head. Spencer's goofiness always seemed to put her in a better mood.

"And anyways..." Spencer smiled, glad that he could alleviate Sam's embarrassment. "...we're out now, and everything's ok. After a quick stop to the pharmacy, I'll take you right back home where you can sleep this bug off."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Sam replied quietly with a sigh. This whole day had been tiring and it wasn't even noon yet. Currently, the idea of sleep sounded like the best thing in the world.

* * *

**Ok, I totally pulled an avoidance move when I skipped out the doctor's words! I was just too unsure of how to write that scene, and instead of guessing on that part, I just simply switched over. I figured you guys waited for this chapter long enough, and decided to just skip that part, instead of wasting time trying to research what a doctor might say. I hope you guys aren't too depressed about it. :( (Especially since I could have just ended the chapter RIGHT THERE, and you guys would have had to wait for the next chapter to see what was wrong with Sam. ;D)**

**Anyways, so it looks like Sam's got another small complication. D= But at least Spencer got her there in time before it could get worse. Big brother Spencer to the rescue! Wasn't it sweet of him to accompany her to the hospital? =D ....despite the fact that she hated him for a majority of the checkup? xD**

**Oh, and one last side note: When the nurse was asking Sam those questions I HAVE NO IDEA if they would do that in THIS particular situation. I just know that when I went for a checkup, they asked me questions like that, so I decided to add it in. Again, please don't judge this chapter for medical realism. Please rate it only on the storytelling aspect! I'm not claiming I know much about how a hospital works, so please don't yell at me if I messed the details up. xD**


	96. Night Sweats

**Ah! I got a lot of reviews quickly for my last chapter update, that I just had to get the next one up right away! Thank you so much for your comments guys. Your reviews really lift my spirits up and motivate me to write faster and get the next chapter up quicker! =) Anyways...some more Spencer/Sam goodness!

* * *

**

"And anyways..." Spencer smiled, glad that he could alleviate Sam's embarrassment. "...we're out now, and everything's ok. After a quick stop to the pharmacy, I'll take you right back home where you can sleep this bug off."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Sam replied quietly with a sigh. This whole day had been tiring and it wasn't even noon yet. Currently, the idea of sleep sounded like the best thing in the world.

* * *

Eventually time had passed as Spencer drove up to the nearest Wrong-Aid pharmacy and pulled the car up into a parking space.

"I'm going to go in and get this prescription filled. Would you like anything?" He asked as he looked over at Sam.

"No.." She replied quietly.

"Ok, I'll be right back," Spencer smiled as he got out of the car and shut the door. Sam just watched as he walked away and disappeared into the store. With a small sigh, she looked down at the floor and saw Carly's blanket. She then bent down and picked it up before wrapping herself in the sheet. She was starting to feel cold and awful again, so she decided to just close her eyes and wait for Spencer to come back.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the store, Spencer was casually standing at the pharmacy desk as the lady went into the back room to grab the correct antibiotics. Spencer stood there, humming to himself, as his eyes scanned over to a wall of various gums and candies.

"Oooh.." He smiled, attracted by the colorful treats. Like a little kid, he shuffled over to the shelf and looked through it excitedly with big eyes. "Hmm..." Spencer murmured, wondering if he should give into temptation and buy something. As he continued to look, there was nothing that really seemed to grab his attention, and just as he was about to walk away, something managed to catch his eye at the last moment. "Hm? What's this?" He thought awkwardly as he noticed a package of gum with a big fat pig on it giving a thumbs up with his hoof. Spencer read the label and his eyes widened. "Bacon flavored gum?!" He then shook his head in disbelief, wondering how he found such a convenient item. "I'm so getting this for Sam!" Spencer laughed as he smiled. He then looked back over at the candy shelf and grabbed five more packs before walking back over to the counter. By now the woman had returned from the back room and awkwardly looked at Spencer's items as he dropped them onto the counter.

"Antibiotics and six packs of bacon flavored gum....interesting," She laughed as she started to ring up his odd order.

"It's for a friend. If you knew her, you'd understand," Spencer winked at the lady as he handed her his credit card.

"Your girlfriend?" The woman asked with a slight smile. Spencer looked back at her oddly for a moment before smiling back.

"Why no, my little sister's best friend," He murmured as he leaned against the counter and wriggled his eyebrows, making the lady chuckle as she handed him back his credit card. "I'm single," He then added with a sly smirk.

"You know...I get off work in an hour," The pharmacist winked at him. Spencer just stood up straight, his suave facial expression instantly gone. He was just shocked at the response as his flirting never got him anywhere.

"Oh uh, gee wow, thanks, I mean, oh boy.." Spencer chuckled awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck, realizing he was going to have to shoot her down. "I'd love to, but you see I can't because, well, I've got a sick teenager in the car who, really isn't feeling well and needs these pills and.."

The woman just laughed. "It's alright, I understand. Call me sometime though.." She reached over and slipped a piece of paper in the pill bag.

"Will do," Spencer wriggled his eyebrows as he picked up the small white bag. And with that he turned around and left the store.

* * *

_'Are you trying to tell me something?!' _Spencer asked the sky as he stepped out of the pharmacy, wondering why now, out of every other moment in his life, he was be able to successfully flirt with someone. Of course, it didn't matter though because he cared way more about Sam, and would give up thousands of dates with pretty ladies to make sure she was alright. _'Hope she likes her gum.' _Spencer thought with a smile as he walked back over to the car. After unlocking it, he opened the door and peered in.

"Hey kiddo, hope I wasn't too lon..." His voice trailed off though when he saw that the girl was bundled up in the light purple blanket with her eyes closed and head tilted to the side. She was dead silent as her back rose up and down softly, signaling she was asleep. "Maybe I _was_ gone for too long," Spencer chuckled to himself as he quietly scooted into the car and shut the door behind him. After placing the small white bag in the cup holder, he pulled on his seat belt, put the car into drive, and started to drive home where Sam could get proper rest.

* * *

The ride back was a calm and quiet one. Spencer hummed to himself quietly as he pulled into the Bushwell Plaza parking lot. Once he was in his parking space, he shut off the car, snapped off his seat belt, and looked over at Sam. She had remained asleep the entire time as she was now curled up against the car seat, and he stared at her for a moment.

_'Darn, I don't want to wake her up..'_ Spencer sighed as he reached over and clicked off her seat belt. It slid softly against the lifeless girl's body and retreated back into it's holder. Sam just continued to lay there sleeping. With a small sigh of regret, Spencer picked up the small white medicine bag, rolled it up, and shoved it into his pocket. He then opened his door and got out of the car before shutting it. After making his way over to the passenger's side, he opened up Sam's door and peered in. With another small sigh, he gently reached into the car and placed his hand on the girl's shoulder."Hey Sam, we're home," Spencer spoke to her as he softly shook her shoulder. At his touch, she mumbled and cracked her eyes open the tiniest bit.

"Mrmm," She moaned, still practically asleep.

"C'mon, let's have you get up now.." Spencer replied as he put one arm behind her back and held her hand with his free one. Slowly and sluggishly, he helped her sit up and shuffle her feet out of the car. It was obvious from the girl's lack of strength and coordination, she was still pretty much half asleep. Once Spencer managed to get Sam out of the car, she just leaned against him, apparently trying to sleep upright.

"Ok..." Spencer chuckled lightly as he put an arm around the girl snuggling up to him, trying to keep her standing. "Hold on," He instructed her before reaching over to the car door with his free hand and shutting it. He then clicked the lock button on his keys and shoved them into his pocket. Meanwhile, at this point, Sam's legs were starting to buckle as she slowly gave up on staying conscious.

"Easy kiddo," Spencer smiled as Sam started to slide down against him, mumbling some incoherent words that sounded like bed. He just chuckled as he realized the half asleep girl wasn't going to work with him. "Well I can see you're not going to walk if you won't even stand," He laughed as he gently put one arm behind her back and the other at the crook of her knees. "Upsey daisey!" Spencer grunted as he slowly picked Sam up bridal style. The girl just kept her eyes closed, barely noticing the fact that she was picked up. Instead, she just twisted Spencer's shirt up into her fist and rested her head against his chest. He looked down at her in his arms as she fell right back to sleep. At this point, he couldn't blame her. Sam was probably beat from all the excitement, and couldn't take anymore at this point. So with that last thought, Spencer carried her back to the apartment.

* * *

By now Spencer had carried Sam all the way up and was currently standing in Carly's room. After placing the tired girl down on the mattress, he sat down by her feet and proceeded to take her shoes off.

"Spencer?" Sam croaked out quietly.

"Hm, you're awake?" Spencer asked as he finished untying her laces and pulled the shoes off. He then looked behind him to see Sam squinting at him through foggy eyes as she propped herself up with her elbows.

"Are we home?" She asked softly, not remembering much after leaving the hospital.

"Mhm," Spencer smiled as he stood up, walked over to her, and sat down next to her right side on the bed. "You're in Carly's room now."

"Oh.." Sam replied, yawning. She was still kind of half asleep, and wasn't fully aware of everything. "I'm tired..." She sighed.

"Yeah, you had a big day," Spencer smiled at her as she slowly closed her eyes and laid back down. But just as he saw she was going back to sleep, a thought quickly snapped into his head. "Oh wait! Sam can you stay up for me for just a minute?"

The blond girl only cracked one of her eyes open. "Huh?"

"Here," Spencer reached into his pocket and pulled out the rolled up white bag. He only took out the medicine, figuring he would save the gum for later. "I need you to take a few things."

"Take a few things?" Sam slurred back, trying to focus through sleepy eyes.

"Yeah, your antibiotics, and this Tylenol pill. The Tylenol will help with the fever," Spencer explained as he pulled out the pills from their respective bottles. He then snaked an arm under Sam's back and gently lifted her up into a sitting position. Unsurprisingly, she sat against him, barely using any of her own strength to stay up. "Here you go," Spencer smiled as Sam sluggishly took the pills from him and put them in her mouth. Spencer then reached over to the nightstand and found a half empty water bottle which he handed to her. She then drank down the rest before lazily handing the empty bottle back. "There we go," Spencer smiled as he put the bottle back on the nightstand.

"Done?" Sam asked tiredly, her eyes closed.

"Mhm, all done," Spencer nodded as he slowly lowered Sam back down to the mattress.

"Kay.." She replied quietly as her head was gently placed against her friend's pillow.

"You just rest tight kid," Spencer stated softly as he reached over and pulled the covers over Sam's body. At this point, she didn't even respond as she was out.

* * *

Eventually a couple of hours had passed since the two had returned home from the hospital. During this time, Sam had stayed asleep upstairs with routine check ins from Spencer. He was now currently sitting in a chair in his room, facing an art easel as he painted one of his sketches.

"You like that?" Spencer asked as he turned around in his swivel chair to look at his bed. There in the middle sat Frothy, curiously watching the man as he flicked his tail.

"Mroow!"

"Yeah, I like it too. Needs some more flowers and peace signs though.." Spencer murmured as he looked back at his art easel. Just then he heard a soft knock on his door frame. Both he and the cat looked over but saw no one come in.

"Spencer...?" Sam asked hesitantly in a weak and quiet tone of voice from behind his doorway.

"Hm, Sam?" Spencer replied curiously upon hearing her voice. He saw a small sliver of the girl from behind it, but that was all as she was mostly staying out of his sight. "Hey there kiddo, have a good nap?"

Sam just looked down at her feet for a moment before putting her hand up to the collar of her t-shirt and nervously pulling at it. "Not exactly.." She replied quietly.

"Huh?" Spencer's casual demeanor disappeared from his face as he slowly stood up from his chair. "Are you alright?" He asked, having taken a bigger notice of the fact that Sam was staying out of his view.

"Spencer.." Sam replied softly, taking a nervous gulp. "A few days ago you said I could come to you with anything, right?"

"Of course," He replied, his eyebrows lifting up in worry as he stepped forward to see what was wrong. Spencer noticed that once he stepped forward, Sam took a step back, hiding even more drastically from his view. "What's going on?" He asked, starting to get very concerned.

"Did you put up the temperature recently?" Sam asked, shyly picking little flecks of paint off Spencer's door frame, trying to keep out of his eyesight.

"No..." Spencer paused as he cocked an eyebrow, curious about such an odd and random question. "Why? Do you want it up?"

"No, it's just, I-I don't know how it happened, or w-why," The girl shakily explained, obviously bothered by something.

"Sam, what are you talking about?!" Spencer exclaimed, starting to get really nervous, especially from her unwillingness to have him see her.

"It...I must have gotten really hot or something in my sleep because when I woke up...I was...." Sam's voice once again trailed off.

"Sam, it's alright, whatever it is, it's alright. Just tell me," Spencer explained softly, sensing the girl's distress. He then heard Sam let off a deep sigh, before she crept around the corner and stepped into view. At first Spencer furrowed his eyebrows as he wasn't sure what she was so flustered about, but then he quickly realized why. Her hair was slick and a darker shade as if she just took a shower, while her t-shirt was practically drenched in what he quickly assumed to be sweat from her description. It was to the point where it looked as though someone dumped a bucket of water on her.

"I was asleep but when I woke up, I was like this! I d-don't know why I was sweating this much and junk but.." Sam's shaky voice was cut off as Spencer walked towards her.

"Sam, it's alright, calm down," Spencer smiled, trying to ease her worry. She just looked up at him cautiously. "You don't have to get all freaked out."

"But look at my clothes! This can't be normal, at all. What's wrong with me?" She asked worriedly.

"I gave you some Tylenol earlier. It must have broken your fever. It's a reducer that can temporarily break one."

"But I still don't see how..." Sam started to say before Spencer cut her off.

"What you're going through is called the night sweats. It's fine. Your body's just trying to cool down," Spencer gave her a warm smile.

"But it's not night," She replied quickly, catching Spencer off guard as he chuckled.

"Not really the main point here Sam," He smiled at her. "And if you don't believe me, I went through it when I took my allergy pills, remember?"

Sam looked down for a moment, having forgotten about the time Spencer took those very questionable pills and the profuse sweating he had experienced while on them. "Oh yeah..." She replied quietly.

"See? So there's no need to worry. Everything's fine," He started to say as Sam looked back up at him, obviously still worrying about something.

"Well ok, now I'm know I'm not going to die from this, but still, I kinda...." Sam sighed as she cut off eye contact, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I kinda soaked Carly's bed." She then quickly looked up at Spencer and cut him off right before he was going to say something. "And I know what that _sounds_ like but I ONLY mean sweat!" Sam quickly added, not wanting to make the situation sound any worse or crude.

"Hey no worries," Spencer chuckled. "I knew what you were talking about," He smiled at her.

"Yeah...but still. I think I used up my one 'get out of jail free card' with Carly when I yacked my guts up all over her floor. Now I've went and destroyed her bed by drenching it with sweat."

"And drooled on her pillows. Don't forget the drool," Spencer chimed in, instantly regretting his joke as he saw the glare Sam shot him.

"Thanks. That made me feel _so_ much better about everything," Sam sighed.

"Oh I'm kidding around with you, lighten up!" Spencer chuckled. "Plus, Carly doesn't care about all that. And why should this even bother you? You do gross stuff to my sis all the time," Spencer laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, only when I'm in control of it.." Sam sighed. "This....it's just different," She mumbled, looking down to the floor.

"Different how? Because you're sick? I think if Carly can tolerate all the gross things you do on purpose, she could definitely tolerate the ones you do by accident," Spencer laughed, wondering why Sam was getting so uptight about a simple mistake. "She knows you're not feeling too well, and would understand what.."

"No," Sam hastily cut in, looking up at him. "Please don't tell her about this," The blond girl moaned, feeling guilty about the whole situation. She didn't know how or why this whole situation felt different, but she knew that it was embarrassing. Maybe it was the lack of control over her own body that was the cause, but either way, the blond girl wasn't up to letting her friend know what happened. Sam figured Carly had put up with enough things from her.

"But Sam, she really wouldn't care about.."

"Please!" Sam spoke frantically, almost catching Spencer off guard with how weak she sounded at this moment. Usually the girl had no problem doing the grossest things to humorously bug Carly, such as spitting her used wad of gum into the brunette girl's hand. But this time, when the situation was simply an honest mistake, Sam seemed to have become flustered and embarrassed. With this thought, Spencer realized that he had been getting to see a whole new side of her, a more respectful and cautious side, one that barely ever came to the surface. He knew that from experience, Sam almost never took her guard down, so he had to make sure he didn't push things with her when she allowed herself to become vulnerable in front of him.

"Sure sure.." He replied softly, not wanting to upset her. "It's alright, I won't tell Carly. It'll just be between me and you," He nodded quickly as Sam inhaled a deep sigh of relief.

"Thanks," She responded quietly yet gratefully.

"You're welcome," Spencer smiled as he placed a hand on her shoulder. He couldn't help but feel bad for her as he felt the perspiration soaked fabric of her shirt. His mind drifted back to how uncomfortable he was when he was going through his own night sweats, and realized Sam must have been feeling as cruddy, if not worse. "Now why don't you go upstairs and take a nice warm shower and change into some fresh clothes. You'll feel a lot better after you do."

"But what about Carly's be..."

"Hey, don't worry about it!" Spencer quickly hushed her up. "That's what the laundry room is for. Plus I have this new fabric softener that I've just been _dying_ to try out. It's called El Fluffo!" He explained as he winked at her. "And after you shower, grab a drink. You'll need it to replace all the water you just lost, ok?"

"Ok..." Sam nodded, feeling a huge amount of relief.

"And then when you're ready to go back to bed, you'll have some nice fresh sheets to sleep on. Problem solved!"

Sam just smiled back, glad Spencer was taking care of the situation without making her feel badly about it. If this happened around her mother, she just knew the woman would have confined her to the bathtub for a bed. "Alright, thank you," She replied quietly.

"No problem," Spencer smiled. "Now you get on upstairs. I'll be up in a bit for the sheets."

And with that Sam nodded, and turned around as she walked out of his room. She just continued to smile to herself as she made her way back upstairs.

_'Spencer was right...I can come to him with anything.' _She thought happily, walking into Carly's room. Just as she was about to go over to her friend's dresser to pull out a clean outfit, a small memory flashed through her mind."Oh! Wait!"She exclaimed as she turned around, remembering a certain detail she had to fix. Sam then awkwardly glanced at Carly's half open window as she walked over to it. "I should probably pull these in..." She chuckled sheepishly as she reached out and pulled her best friend's sheets back into the room. In a moment of panic and embarrassment, she tried to throw them out the window. Sam quickly deduced that talking to Spencer had been a much better solution.

* * *

**So, I got the idea for this chapter when Spencer was sweating like crazy on his allergy pills. I then looked up some details about if that kind of sweating was possible or not, and it seems as though there is such a thing called the 'night sweats' where it could get so bad to the point of actually soaking your bed in sweat during sleep. Who knew? Anyways, one of the reason it happens is when you have a fever, and I read up on how the night sweats happened to a lot of people after they took a fever reducer like Tylenol, so I gave it to Sam. :P Research is fun for writing stories! :D**

**So anyways, I just keep torturing Sam! xD Plus I thought that it would be funny for Sam to try and fix a situation herself by throwing away the evidence. Even though she's sick, she still has a bit of her personality. xD**


	97. Frothy's Story

**Your guys reviews once again made me so happy that I had to get this next chapter written out as quickly as possible! I swear, reading your reviews is like fuel for my fingers to type haha! So thanks again! ^_^**

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* * *

**Spencer finally made his way upstairs to see a clump of sheets pulled up from Carly's bed. He smiled as he walked over to them, figuring Sam pulled them off for him. He had no idea that they were dangling eight stories over Seattle moments ago. As he picked them up, he looked over to see the bathroom door closed. Carrying the sheets along with him, he walked over and heard the shower running. He then reached up and gave a light knock.

"Will you be alright in there Sam?" Spencer asked softly.

Meanwhile, the blond girl froze in the shower with the shampoo bottle in hand, wondering if he was implying anything. "Why?! Carly say anything?!" She asked in a more panicked tone than she would have liked, hoping her best friend didn't betray her trust and told Spencer about how she almost passed out in the shower.

Spencer just raised an eyebrow as he looked at the closed door awkwardly. "Um no. I was just asking to see if you would be alright up here while I go downstairs to the laundry room?"

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine," Sam sighed.

"Oh, and I have another Percocet for you," Spencer paused as there was another loud sigh of exasperation from the other side.

"Can't we sync it up with the other pills?" She asked through the door.

"Maybe later when you're feeling a bit better, but for now let's just keep everything at it's scheduled time."

"Fine," Sam moaned, giving in.

Spencer just smiled as he leaned against the door. Even though it took a while, debating with Sam wasn't as difficult anymore since she had learned to give in at certain times. "Alright, I'm going to leave the pill on the kitchen counter next to a glass of water. Make sure you take it and finish the entire drink. You need to replace liquids."

"Yes mother," Sam sighed in response.

Spencer just chuckled as he shook his head. "See you in a bit," And with that he turned around and walked out.

* * *

Sam eventually finished up her shower and threw on a gray t-shirt, dark blue pajama pants, and white socks. She then proceeded down to the kitchen to find the supplies to fix up a new bandage.

"Stupid cut," Sam sighed, currently standing by the kitchen counter and rummaging through a bag that contained the bandages. "Getting all infected, making me feel sick," She grumbled to herself. Her head was pounding badly, and while the shower added a bit of comfort to her otherwise ailing body, she still wasn't feeling well at all. Instead of having the chills now, she was feeling pretty hot from the night sweats. At this point, Sam wasn't sure if her forehead was damp from the shower or her own sweat. Either way, she just quickly wanted to finish up her tasks and sit down. After a few more seconds, she finally found the white gauze and placed a clean strip over her stomach. Once that was done, Sam sighed and looked over to see the pill Spencer had left out for her alongside a glass of water. She scooped it up and swallowed it, before respecting Spencer's wishes and chugging the entire glass down. When the glass was empty, Sam set it down on the counter with a thump and moaned, putting a hand to her forehead.

"I've gotta go sit down.." She mumbled, dragging her feet across the floor as she walked over to the couch. Frothy was currently laying on the left side of the couch and lifted his head up when he saw Sam shuffle into the room. His ears perked up and his tail started waving happily as she sat down in the middle of the couch next to him.

"Hey Frothers.." Sam replied with a tired smile as she looked at her pet. Frothy just rolled over onto his side, exposing his furry belly to her, as well as his bald patch of light gray skin where an arm used to be. Sam just reached over and started stroking the cat's fur. After a little bit, Sam had to stop as she felt too tired to continue petting him. When she stopped, Frothy rolled back onto his stomach and looked at her curiously, cocking his head.

"Sorry, just not feeling the best," Sam replied honestly to her pet. She then shuffled her left foot across the floor a bit, and the side of her heel touched something.

"Huh?" She looked down and realized it was Freddie's bag of goodies that he had brought over yesterday. Sam slowly bent down and picked it up. She then turned it upside down and dumped it's contents over the table. Other than some Playstation games, a few puzzle boxes fell out. Sam just smiled and shook her head. _'Stupid dork.'

* * *

_

Time passed as Spencer finally came back up from the laundry room, clean soft sheets in hand, courtesy of El Fluffo. The man hummed to himself as he stood in the elevator, waiting for it to open in the apartment. Finally it did and Spencer stepped out. Right away he noticed the back of Sam's head as she was sitting on the couch, watching TV. She slowly turned around as he stepped out.

"Hey," She replied quietly with a smile.

"Hey," Spencer smiled back. "How you feeling?" He asked as he set the bundle of sheets on the table and walked over into the living room.

"Hot. Kinda gross," Sam sighed as Spencer reached over and placed his hand against her forehead.

"Yeah, you're probably going to feel a little suckish for a few more days."

"Yay," Sam sighed. Spencer's eyes then trailed down to the table as he saw an open puzzle box with a finished puzzle laying in it.

"Where'd you get the puzzle?" Spencer asked awkwardly.

"Fredblob," Sam chuckled softly, her eyelids going down. "He told me that his mother made him bring it, but I know he wanted to do it himself. I have to give it up to the kid though, that killed a nice chunk of time," Sam smiled lazily as she looked up at Spencer. He smiled back, noticing the familiar haze of drugs in her eyes. At least the Percocet calmed her down.

"Oh, that's cool," Spencer smiled as he pulled up a chair and sat down. He then looked back over at the puzzle and noticed something.

"Hey, Sam?" He asked as the blond girl looked over at him.

"Hm?"

"Where's that piece go?" Spencer asked, pointing towards one blank spot on the otherwise completed puzzle. Sam just lazily shrugged in response.

"I dunno. Somewhere over there," She then pointed towards the kitchen. Spencer looked at where she was pointing before glancing back at her and raising an eyebrow.

"It wouldn't fit," Sam replied. "So I figured it might find a better place to fit over there, and threw it."

Spencer couldn't help but laugh at her blunt solution to the problem. "Oh!" He was just surprised that only _one_ piece was missing.

Meanwhile, during this, Frothy lazily stood up from his position next to Sam's right hip and started to hobble on top of her legs.

"No...off Froth..," Sam sighed tiredly, feeling too hot to have him curl up on her lap as she pushed her cat away. But then she paused, chuckling to herself for a moment. "Off...Froth...heh...rhymes, sorta..," Sam then continued to chuckle quietly, obviously influenced by the drugs. But then with a small sigh, she managed to bring herself out of it. Meanwhile, Frothy just stared at his owner curiously. He then padded his way over again and attempted to sit on Sam's lap once more.

"No...." Sam sighed tiredly, pushing him off for the thousandth time. Spencer just sat in the chair watching the two.

"Wow, he really loves you."

"I love him too," Sam replied, not wanting Spencer to get the wrong idea about her pushing him away. "But I'm too hot for.."

"Oh no, I understand why," Spencer quickly replied to show Sam he wasn't talking about that. "It's just, I've never seen a cat act so affectionate before!"

"Yeah, he's only like that with me," Sam replied. "I think it has to do with his missing leg."

"Huh? Why? What happened to it?"

"Honestly, I don't know."

"You don't know?" Spencer asked as Sam nodded. "So what? Did he like scamper off one day and return without it?!"

Sam couldn't help but chuckle at the awkward picture that statement made in her head. "No. I found him this way."

"You found him this way?" Spencer was shocked.

"Well, kind of," Sam replied, sitting up a bit to show her interest in telling the story. "You see, six years ago, I heard this weird sound coming from my backyard in the middle of the night. It sort of sounded like a howl."

"Lemme guess, Frothy?" Spencer laughed, having listened to the cat howl and whine during the entire car ride home from Sam's house.

"Well yeah, but it was really intense," Sam then paused for a moment as she furrowed her eyebrows and tried to think through the drugs. "I remember, it was so painful sounding. Like something was crying."

Spencer just stayed quiet as Sam stared into space, recalling the memory.

"Yeah...that howling.. scared the crap out of me," Sam added bluntly. She then looked up at Spencer to recover her honesty. "But, you know, it didn't scare me that much. Not even at all really. Why did I say that? I mean, it was just a stupid noise, and stupid noises don't scare.."

"Sam," Spencer chuckled, realizing the girl's tough image along with her drugged up and babbling mind were going off topic. "I get it." He smiled. "What happened then?"

"Well, my mom was asleep, so I took a baseball bat and went outside to check things out."

"In the middle of the night?" Spencer asked, shocked.

"Yeah."

"That's dangerous," Spencer stated, fearing Sam's role of protector of her house, considering she lived in a less than safe neighborhood. That was the reason why Spencer didn't mind the girl breaking into his apartment and sleeping over so much.

"Eh whatev," Sam shrugged him off. Spencer just stayed quiet, deciding to let that go for now as he continued to listen. "Anyways, so I heard this crazy howling noise, and it was coming from the tree stump in my back yard." Sam paused as she looked up in thought for a moment. "At first I thought it was a mouse being mauled by an owl or a bat, but then I realized it couldn't be as it was on the ground. Owls and bats fly away with their food right?" Sam asked awkwardly.

"Um, I think so," Spencer smiled.

"Yeah....I mean, if you can fly, why eat on the ground? Heh, they just swoop in and take their meal to go. Fast food," Sam smiled as her eyes lids started to droop.

"Hah yeah," Spencer chuckled. "So, what about the howling now?" He asked, trying to keep her on topic through the Percocet's effects.

"Hm? Oh yeah, right right.." Sam sighed, refocusing her mind. "Anyways, I decided to just go ahead and try to find out what it was. After patting the ground a bit, I felt something furry and wet."

"Frothy?" Spencer smiled as Sam nodded.

"Yup. At the time I didn't know it was a cat, but I still picked him up and brought him into the house."

Spencer just shook his head in disbelief. _'Sam would be the only one who would find a howling wet creature outside in the dead of night, and pick it up and bring it home without any idea of what it was.'_ He couldn't help but chuckle at this thought. "So why was he wet? Was it drool?" Spencer smiled, knowing that Frothy and Sam seemed to share personalities, so it would be funny if they shared character quirks, such as drooling.

"Nah, wasn't drool. It was blood," Sam explained casually as Spencer's eyes widened.

"Whoa!"

"Yeah, but I didn't know it at that moment cause it was dark out. But when I brought him into the house, man did I freak! My arms were red!" Sam replied, nodding enthusiastically.

"I would freak too!" Spencer replied in shock. "So um what was the blood from?"

"His leg. It was half torn off, like something took a big ole bite out of him." Sam explained as Spencer's right eye twitched in disgust. Sam then paused her story for a moment as she saw the man's shocked facial expression. "Hey, that's the kind of face my mom had when I woke her up and showed her the cat!" Sam laughed as she glanced at Spencer's look of horror.

"What did your mom say about this?" Spencer asked, wide eyed.

"Said I couldn't keep him."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Well, she said the ONLY way I would be able to keep him was if I took care of the leg. She figured I wouldn't," Sam answered with a nod.

"So um...you uh...took care of it I'm guessing?" Spencer asked hesitantly, hoping this story didn't end with a knife or razor blade. He was already feeling sick to his stomach.

"Yup, sure did," Sam smiled proudly. "I took him to the vet!"

At this, Spencer let out a sigh of relief.

"Luckily the vet dude gave me some time to get the money to pay for Frothy's amputation. My mom wasn't going to help, so I took my old game boy color, along with the games, and sold them to the local hobo down the street, Crazy Joe." Sam smiled. "He may be homeless and poor, but he's stolen a lot of wallets in his day. Gave me a nice price he did." Sam started to chuckle. Spencer just stared at her in awe of her story. Only Sam Puckett would live through a crazy experience such as this.

"So, you got Frothy fixed up?" Spencer asked.

"Mhm, and considering my mom had that one rule for me, I was able to keep him," Sam then sat back and smiled.

"Wow!" Spencer exclaimed. "And this was all six years ago?"

"Yup," Sam nodded as she looked over at Frothy who was curled up next to her side. "You were only a kitten then. A poor, crying kitten," Sam cooed as she reached under the fat gray cat's neck and scratched his chin. Frothy instantly started purring as his tail twitched. Sam then looked up at Spencer. "I'm not sure what ever happened to his leg, but I think that's why he doesn't like strangers that much. Someone must have hurt him....bad."

"That's understandable," Spencer nodded quietly as he looked over at the cat who was currently enjoying his owner's touch. Suddenly the man felt guilty for ever calling him evil. Frothy was just a poor animal who had been abused early in his life, and was thankfully rescued. The cat's appreciation to Sam was clear in his facial features and reactions to her touch. With this, Spencer found a new respect for the animal, as well as for Sam. "So, out of curiosity.." Spencer started to say, knowing he had to ask. "Why the name Frothy?"

"Well," Sam smiled. "After the vet fixed up his leg, and he became comfortable in my house, he always started to froth at the mouth whenever he got really happy. He grew out of it later on, but he drooled like crazy as a kitten."

Spencer couldn't help but laugh. "Good name," He replied as Sam nodded appreciatively, before looking back down at Frothy and stroking his back. Spencer just smiled in thought. _'So he did drool like Sam, I knew it!'_ There was a small period of silence before Sam finally looked away from her pet.

"Hey Spencer?" She asked quietly, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah?" He asked as he looked over and realized her eyelids were going down.

"I'm kinda feeling cruddy and tired now. Would it be alright if I went to bed?"

"Of course! You don't have to ask," Spencer laughed, finding it awkward at how polite Sam was being. The girl just smiled back at him.

"Right," Sam chuckled. The reason why she was acting respectful was because she truly enjoyed sharing this story with Spencer, as no one else really took an interest in her wacky stories, figuring it was just some more crazy talk from her. Spencer legitimately listened to her, and Sam really liked that. Unfortunately she couldn't continue to talk though because the fever was draining her energy, and she didn't want to feel rude by just getting up and leaving with no explanation.

"Here, lemme go up with you and get these sheets set," Spencer stated as he stood up and walked over to help Sam up. She took his hand and pulled herself off the couch before the two walked over towards the kitchen, Frothy hobbling at their heels. Spencer then picked up the bundle of purple sheets from the counter before turning towards the elevator and pressing the button. The door slid open with a ding and the three of them all stepped in.

* * *

After a few minutes, Spencer had set up the bed for Sam once more, all fresh and clean just like he said he would. Sam was now currently tucked in with Frothy resting to her right side. Spencer stood at the foot of the bed as he clicked on the TV and reached over to hand her the remote.

"Now you just call me if you need anything,"

"Got it," Sam nodded with a smile as she placed the remote on the nightstand. "And thanks."

"No problem," Spencer smiled back at her. "Feel better," And with that he turned around and walked out of the room so his patient could get some rest.

* * *

Out in the hallway, Spencer just sighed and smiled softly as he continued on his way downstairs. Even though Sam was pale and incredibly ill with a fever, he was glad to see that she enjoyed talking to him. It was nice having her open up.

* * *

**Ok, ever since I introduced my characterization of Frothy into this story, I've been desperately wanting to do a sort of back story for him and his missing leg. While the iCarly creators obviously made him a joke pet (three legs, name's Frothy, vicious but lovable...lol) I decided that the best story for him would be one that shows off Sam's relationship to her pet and the reason why the cat acts in the way he does. I like the idea of Sam being responsible and mature by selling some of her items to help a poor injured animal, and in turn having a loyal animal by her side. It seems as though Sam doesn't have the best home life, and with Frothy around, I figured I could at least counterbalance some of it with a nice companion. Plus, the abused storyline gives Frothy a reason for his vicious behavior to strangers. ;)**

**I also liked writing this chapter because it just adds more to Sam and Spencer's friendship. Like, Sam has an amazing friendship with Carly and Freddie, but whenever she says stuff like "My uncle Carmine..." or "My three legged cat...", it's like they laugh at the joke and that's it. Normal Puckett humor. I figured that Spencer would react differently and be the kind of person who would want to know the back story and actually question some of the things Sam says, making her happy that someone is taking an interest in what she's saying. That's just the sort of aspect to Sam/Spencer's unique friendship that I wanted to portray in this chapter!**


	98. Carly and Freddie Return Home

A little time had passed and it was soon 1:30 in the afternoon. Spencer decided to check up on Sam and went upstairs. Once he made his way over to Carly's door, he peeked in and saw that the girl was awake and simply watching TV.

"Hey," Spencer greeted her softly.

"Hi," Sam replied, giving him a tired smile.

"Not sleeping yet?"

"Nah, too tired to, if that makes any sense."

"Makes sense," Spencer nodded. "I get like that all the time when I do those all night sculptures," He chuckled. "So, need anything kiddo?"

"Actually, yeah," Sam replied, sitting up a bit. "Could I have some of your chicken soup? It's starting to feel cold in here."

"Getting those chills again huh?" Spencer asked sympathetically as Sam nodded. "Well don't worry, one steaming bowl of chicken soup, coming up," He winked at her before turning around and disappearing back into the hall. Sam just sighed and smiled as she shuffled back down intro the comforter. Spencer seemed to have a knack for making her feel better.

* * *

Eventually Spencer made the bowl of soup and fed it to his patient. After Sam gratefully slurped it down, he took the empty bowl from her and left her alone once more so she could rest. Thirty minutes has passed since then and he was now downstairs in the kitchen sitting at the computer. Spencer was currently surfing the internet when the sound of the lock clicking on the front door caught his attention. He spun around in his seat to see it open and Carly walk in with Freddie right behind.

"Hey Spencer," She greeted her brother as she set her book bag by the door.

"Hey guys," Spencer smiled as he saw the kids. "How'd school go?"

"Well other than these crazy rumors about Sam going around, it was ok," Freddie laughed, having to suffer through the Ridgeway rumors just as Carly did the day before. He then pulled off his own backpack and slumped it over the couch.

"Yeah, apparently there's a new rumor going around that she was stabbed by a pen," Carly sighed, wondering how the heck a new rumor kept sprouting up every five minutes without any of the kids noticing how stupid they all sounded.

"Yikes," Spencer laughed. "So how'd the test go?"

"Well, let's just say me and Freddie kicked the Civil War's butt," Carly chuckled as Freddie nodded.

"Yeah, that study session helped out a lot! Too bad Sam conked out right in the beginning, speaking of which, where is she?" Freddie asked, glancing around as he noticed the blond headed girl was nowhere to be seen.

"Upstairs in bed," Spencer answered as he slid off the stool and walked towards the kids.

"She sleep all day?" Freddie asked.

"For the most part but.." Spencer started to say before he was cut off.

"You called it," Freddie laughed as he looked over at Carly.

"Called what?" Spencer asked his sister curiously.

"From the way Sam looked this morning, I figured she was going to be out all day," Carly answered as she and Freddie chuckled.

"About that..." Spencer replied softly as the kids quieted down. "I have to talk to you guys about her."

"Yeah? What's up?" Carly asked, a bit of confusion in her voice as well as on Freddie's face about Spencer's change of tone.

"I don't want you guys over exciting her today. She needs to relax."

"Um sure...but why are you telling us this?" Freddie asked, wondering why the man felt the need to explain the obvious. He and Carly knew that Sam needed rest, so it was weird that Spencer was instructing them as if anything changed.

"Well," Spencer started off gently. "When she woke up this morning she had a higher fever than usual. It was almost at 101, so I took her back to the hospital," As soon as he finished talking, both of the kids' eyes grew wide.

"What?!" Carly asked, finding her voice first. "Why? What's wrong?!"

"Easy there kiddo," Spencer explained as he held up his hands. "It's nothing too bad. She's just got a slight infection in her wound."

"So...what does that mean exactly? Is she going to be ok?" Freddie asked worriedly.

"Yeah yeah," Spencer quickly replied, not wanting to upset them further. "We caught it early enough before it could get too serious. The doctor prescribed some antibiotics for her to take, but other than a few pills, she just has to wait it out and let the medication do the trick."

"What about Sam though?" Carly asked.

"Huh?" Spencer wasn't sure what his sister meant.

"How is she with the infection? Is she alright?"

"Well..she's really beat. All the junk that's going on in her body is really draining her. So don't be alarmed if she looks sicker than usual," Spencer then paused for a moment, trying to figure out a way to give the kids a comparison point. "She's looks like back when we first brought her home from the hospital. Also, I gave her some Tylenol a few hours ago, and even though it broke her fever for a while, it returned once the pill wore off. Still, it didn't go any higher which is a good sign. So other than being out of it and tired from the fever, she seems to be alright. We chatted for a bit before she started to get really exhausted, so she went back upstairs to bed."

"Oh.." Carly replied softly, feeling bad for her friend.

"You guys can go up and see her if you want. I checked in a half hour ago and she was watching TV. I don't know if she'll still be awake though."

"Alright, that sounds good," Freddie nodded. And with that, he and Carly rushed upstairs to go check on their friend.

* * *

After making their way down the hallway, the kids stopped at the open doorway to Carly's bedroom and peered in. Inside they saw that their friend was sitting upright in bed, watching TV with Frothy curled up next to her right side. Just like Spencer had said, Sam looked ill and exhausted. Her skin was pale and her eyes had dark circles around them. As she continued to stare at the TV with a fogged and glazed over expression, she kept the blankets pulled up drastically over her shoulders, making it obvious she wasn't feeling the best.

When Carly and Freddie realized Sam hadn't seen them yet, the brunette leaned in and gave a few taps on her door frame. "Hey, Sam?"

"Huh?" Sam lazily looked away from the TV to see her friends. Despite how weak she felt, she couldn't help but smile at their presence. She hadn't been aware of the time, and wasn't expecting them at this point. Sam then pulled the blanket down a bit to free her arms and make herself somewhat more presentable. "Oh, hey!"

The kids smiled back as they walked in and across the room. Freddie stopped at the foot of the bed while Carly walked over to Sam's left side and sat down on the mattress next to her.

"I'm so glad to see you guys," Sam replied honestly.

"Both of us?" Freddie asked as Sam nodded hesitantly, unsure of the question. "Wow, you _must _be running a fever if you're glad to see _me_," He laughed as Sam glared at him. The boy then nervously stopped chuckling once he saw the look she was giving him. "So...heard you had a rough day, huh?" Freddie asked softly, trying to get back on her good side.

"Yeah.....rough," Sam sighed as Carly reached over and gently placed the back of her hand against her friend's forehead.

"Spencer told us he had to take you back to the hospital," Carly stated as she kept her hand in place to feel Sam's temperature.

"Mhm," Sam confirmed tiredly, welcoming the cool sensation of her friend's hand on her head, despite feeling chilly.

"Yeah, you're pretty feverish," Carly replied sympathetically as she lightly moved the back of her hand down to Sam's cheek and saw that her friend's skin had an ill warmth all over it. Sam just sighed and closed her eyes as Carly gently settled her hand down onto her shoulder.

"So how'd you do at the hospital?" Freddie asked in concern.

"They jabbed me with another needle," Sam moaned, opening her eyes as she rubbed the small band aid on her sore arm.

"To check your blood?" Freddie asked.

"No, to give me a tattoo! Of course to check my blood," Sam snapped with a burst of energy. She then rolled her eyes and sighed tiredly. Freddie just put his hands up and backed away as he gave Carly a confused expression.

Carly couldn't help but smile as Freddie gave her a 'What did I say?' look. She then looked back over at her best friend who was currently glaring at the TV. "Do you want anything?"

"Yeah..." Sam sighed sadly, looking back over at Carly. "...to get out of this sick funk." She still felt cruddy as heck and was already getting too tired to talk to her friends, despite how much she wanted to stay up with them.

"I know.." Carly replied softly, wrapping an arm around her friend's shoulders and giving her a small hug. Sam just leaned into it comfortably and shut her eyes for the moment as she rested her head on Carly's right shoulder, hoping that the harsh pounding in her head would stop, if only for a moment.

"Well, do you want anything else in the meantime?" Freddie asked sympathetically. At this point he had gotten used to Sam being in a weaker state, and knew in his heart that it was wrong. Sam was the tough one of the group, and seeing her this weak was just depressing as he knew she was feeling horrible enough to allow her guard down so drastically. Freddie wished he could do something for her, but unfortunately knew that neither he, Carly, or Spencer could really do much, other than try to make Sam comfortable. And even then they still weren't able to do a lot, especially since he noticed his friend had started giving off small shivers.

"You alright?" Carly asked, starting to feel the blond girl tremble against her.

"Just cold..." Sam murmured, pulling the blanket back over her arms and sighing, trying to recapture her body heat. She then looked up at Freddie and thought about his previous offer. "C-could you get me some hot chocolate?"

Freddie smiled back at her kindly. "Sure. Marshmallows?"

"Duh," Sam chuckled with a faint smile.

"Ok, I'll be right back," Freddie stated as he turned around and started to walk away.

"And make it snappy!" Sam called out after him as he turned around in the doorway and rolled his eyes jokingly with a smile before disappearing. Once he was gone, Sam let off a tired sigh and closed her eyes.

"So..." Carly started to say as Sam opened her eyes back up and looked at her. "What did the doctor say?"

"To quote Freddie...." Sam paused as she weakly pulled one of her hands out from under the blankets and pointed to her stomach. "There's something in there that's infected, making me feel suckish," Sam replied with a soft sigh, dragging her arm back under the covers.

Carly couldn't help but give a chuckle at her friend for using Freddie's own words. "Still though...have you been cleaning out the incision as directed?" The brunette girl asked, knowing her friend wasn't a fan of intense hygiene.

"No. When I go to shower, I make sure I wash everything BUT the cut. I like to tape a nice plastic baggie over it to make sure no water or soap _dare_ touches the.."

"Ok ok!" Carly quickly laughed, cutting off her friend's sarcastic rant. "Got it, stupid question!"

Sam just rolled her eyes and smiled at her before sighing depressingly. "And here I thought I was doing ok with it too.." She moaned, laying her head down against Carly's shoulder.

"Well, these things just happen. If you washed it out, there wasn't much else you could do," Carly replied as she looked down at the girl, trying to make her friend feel better.

"Yeah..I guess," Sam moaned before letting off another shiver. "Now where the heck is Freddie with my drink?" She growled as she lifted her head back up. Carly laughed nervously at this as she rubbed her hands along Sam's arms to try and warm her up. The poor boy wasn't even gone for minute yet and was already getting berated for moving slowly.

_'Oh Freddie, you better hurry up.' _Carly thought.

* * *

During this, when Freddie came down the stairs, he noticed Spencer was sitting at the computer once more. Spencer turned around in his chair once he saw the boy walk into the kitchen.

"Hey Freddo, Sam awake?"

"Yeah, she was still watching TV when we went up. Carly's with her now," Freddie answered as he walked open to a cabinet and casually started rifling through it.

"Nice to see you're so comfortable about rummaging through my stuff. And here I thought Sam was the rude one," Spencer chuckled jokingly, humored by Freddie's embarrassed reaction.

"Well, it sort of is for Sam," Freddie laughed nervously as he turned back around, just now realizing how rude he was acting. "Sorry."

"Ah no worries," Spencer shrugged it off with a smile until he squinted his eyes to see what the boy was holding up. It was a packet of chocolate powder. "Hot chocolate?"

"Mhm," Freddie nodded as he walked open to another cabinet to retrieve a mug.

"She still feeling chilled?" Spencer asked as he got off his seat and walked over towards Freddie.

"Yeah, she started shivering," Freddie sighed as he pulled out a mug from the cabinet and shut it with a click.

"Yeah, she's been flipping back and forth between feeling hot and cold. That's gotta be annoying," Spencer sighed.

"Did the doctor say when she was going to feel better?" Freddie asked hopefully, ripping open the top of the package and pouring the brown powder in.

"Said it might take a few days," Spencer nodded. "She just needs to relax and keep up on the antibiotics so the infection gets killed."

"I see," Freddie replied as he pouring in some hot water and started to mix it in the mug. "I wonder what we're going to do about iCarly."

"Hm?" Spencer asked.

"Well, it's tomorrow night. I think we should cancel it if she's still like this."

"That's a good idea," Spencer nodded.

"Still," Freddie retrieved a bag of marshmallows from the counter and plopped a few in. "I don't think Sam will take too kindly to the idea."

"Why not?" Spencer asked curiously. By the way the girl was looking, it seemed like she would be happy to rest instead of host a web show.

"Last time she was sick, she insisted on doing the show. And that was when she had food poisoning and was puking like crazy," Freddie explained as he turned around with the steaming mug in his hand. "She could barely stand."

"Huh? When was this?" Spencer asked, not remembering that.

"When you went camping with Socko. You know Carly's old best friend, Missy?"

"Yeah.."

"She gave Sam some rank chocolates that were 17 years old."

"BLECH!" Spencer moaned, sticking out his tongue.

"Tell me about it," Freddie laughed. "Even _I_ felt bad for her then! Sam didn't deserve that."

"Well, did Missy apologize about it?"

"Um...no, not really. It was kind of done on purpose," Freddie chuckled nervously.

Spencer just cocked an eyebrow, not knowing that little detail about Missy. _'Well THAT girl's never coming into my house again..'_ He thought, disliking it when anyone messed with his friends.

"So yeah," Freddie stated, cutting the man out of his thoughts. "I gotta go and bring this up to Sam. I bet she's already yelling at me right now for taking too long," Freddie laughed.

"Alright, see ya Freddo," Spencer smiled as the boy started to walk away. But Spencer watched as Freddie stopped for a moment, his eyes locking onto something in the living room.

"Hey.." Freddie murmured as he backtracked a bit and walked over to the couch.

"Huh?" Spencer asked curiously as he saw the boy bend down and pick up a box from the table.

"Who did one of my puzzles?" Freddie asked with a smile, figuring it was Spencer as he held it up to incriminate the man.

"Would you believe, Sam?" Spencer laughed.

"Um no, not really.." Freddie replied awkwardly, not expecting that answer.

"Well, she did. She was bored so she opened it up and worked on it."

"Reaaaalllly now," Freddie smirked as he looked down at the puzzle in his hands. "That's interesting news," He smiled before looking at the mug in his other hand. "Alright, well, I gotta bring this up, see ya!"

"Bye!" Spencer replied before looking back at the computer. _'Something tells me I shouldn't have told Freddie that..'_ He thought nervously.

* * *

Meanwhile, back upstairs, Freddie walked into the room with the steaming mug in one hand and the puzzle box in the other, currently hidden behind his back. "One mug of hot chocolate...complete with marshmallows," He smiled as he walked over to Sam and saw her eyes light up.

"Mmm great!" She replied, reaching out from under the covers to take the cup from her friend. She then tilted the mug towards her mouth and slurped down a nice gulp of hot chocolate. It felt amazing as it slid down her throat and into her stomach. She then looked up and Freddie and realized he deserved a thanks. "Thank you," Her muffled voice replied before she once again closed her eyes and took another sip. Even though the boy could basically do no _right_ in her eyes, this was one of the rare times she felt indebted to him. Unfortunately he was going to ruin it, as usual.

"Oh no...pleasure's all mine" Freddie smirked, sitting down on the foot of the bed as he faced her. "So...when I was downstairs, I found something interesting," He stated casually. Carly just simply cocked an eyebrow, wondering what he was talking about as Sam continued to slurp down her drink.

"What did you find?" Carly asked awkwardly.

"Oh...nothing really...just...this," Freddie finally pulled his hand out from behind his back, showing the puzzle box to the two girls. Sam instantly stopped drinking as she stared at it for a moment, before looking up at Freddie.

"It's a puzzle box," Carly stated flatly, not sure what the interesting part was.

"Why yes, yes it is. A puzzle box. One..." Freddie then tilted the box to show Carly the contents. "...with the puzzle finished inside." Carly continued to stare at Freddie as if he was off his nut.

But Sam knew what the boy was insinuating. "Dude," She growled through her teeth, getting ticked off at his smug face. At this point, Carly realized there were tension between the two and had no idea what the heck was going on.

"But Sam, I thought you thought puzzles were stupid and _lame_.." Freddie replied casually, keeping a smirk on his face.

"They are!" She huffed back in response.

"But then why would Sam Puckett, hater of all puzzles, actually open one up and.."

"OK! SO I WAS BORED! I did the stupid puzzle, are you happy?" Sam yelled in response.

"Eh...not really happy, more like amused," Freddie smiled as he chuckled.

"Oh yeah? Well amuse this.." Sam growled as she kicked up one of her blanketed feet. Her toe hit the bottom of the box and made it fly out of Freddie's hand and onto the floor.

"HEY!" He cried out, watching all the pieces fly into the air. He then looked back over at Sam and glared at her.

"Ok everybody needs to calm down!" Carly shouted out, realizing things were getting too heated for Sam's condition.

"He started it!" The blond girl yelled in defense. While Carly usually ignored her best friend's childish remarks, she did have to give credit to the girl this time.

"Yes, he _did_ start it," Carly murmured as she glared at Freddie. "Now you go and pick up those pieces."

"But I...and she kicked...with..." Freddie's voice trailed off as he just stared back at the girls for a second before sighing and getting up. He then knelt down and started picking up his pieces from the floor as he grumbled to himself.

Meanwhile, Sam just looked over at Carly and smiled. "Well what do you know? Puzzles _are_ fun." The two girls then laughed as Freddie continued to pick up all the fallen pieces, a defeated look on his face replacing the previously smug one.

* * *

Eventually Freddie had picked up all the pieces and set the puzzle to the side. He was now once again sitting at the foot of the bed as they chatted with Sam about how their day went.

"Wow, that's crazy," Sam murmured, having just been told about all the rumors at school that were going around about her.

"I tried to stop them, but I couldn't. I'm sorry," Carly replied.

"Don't be, I think it's funny," Sam smiled.

"Huh? You actually _like_ the rumors?" Carly asked in disbelief.

"Yeah sure, why not?" Sam shrugged. "At least it'll make school more interesting when I get back," She replied with a small smile, giving off another tiny shiver.

"You're so weird," Carly laughed as she pulled Sam in closer next to her to warm her back up.

"Life's more interesting when it's weird," Sam chuckled, welcoming her friend's arm around her.

"Good point," Freddie smiled as he agreed with her. "So anyways, you guys, I was thinking about something.."

"Oh?" Carly asked, interested in what the boy had to say.

"Ugh, what now?" Sam moaned, clearly not.

Freddie just glared at Sam for her rude response before continuing. "Tomorrow is iCarly night....what do you girls wanna do?" He watched as they thought for a moment before they answering simultaneously.

"Cancel."

"Do it."

Both Sam and Carly then looked at each other for a second, shocked by each others response.

"But Sam, you're burning up! There's no way you can do a web show in this condition." Carly explained softly.

"Well..it's tomorrow night. Maybe I'll feel better?" Sam shrugged lazily.

"Fine...we'll go on that condition. But if you're feeling just as bad tomorrow night, we're canceling the show."

"Whatev," Sam sighed, basically 'yes-ing' her friend. She knew that she was going to do iCarly even if she still felt this badly, no matter what.

* * *

**So I decided to put iCarly on a Thursday night. Even though it sounds more logical for it to be on a Friday, I remembered that in the show it seems as though the kids have had school days right after the web show. (Like in the episode where was arrested for downloading illegal music). Of course, that doesn't mean a weekend didn't go by, but it does seem weird that the police would wait until Monday to arrest her. So I just decided that Thursday will be iCarly night. :P**

**So yea, anyways, Carly and Freddie are back! And Sam's really glad to see them! I kind of wanted to show how the atmosphere changes a bit with them home as opposed to them being at school. I hope it shows that in Sam's attitude that she appreciates them being with her!**

**And remember, reviews are love! If you're reading, please take the time out to comment! I love hearing what you guys have to say! It makes my day! =)**


	99. What Best Friends Are For

While Sam had managed to keep up a nice conversation with her friends for a good amount of time, Carly and Freddie respected the fact that she needed rest....especially when she basically fell asleep in the middle of talking. At that point, the kids knew to leave the room and let her sleep. They were now currently downstairs, sitting on the couch while chatting and watching some TV. Carly sat on the right, while Freddie sat on the left.

"So...do you think Sam is going to be alright for iCarly tomorrow?" Freddie asked as he looked at Carly. He saw the brunette girl think for a moment before sighing.

"At this point, I'm not so sure. She looks really sick. I think it might take more than a day for her to feel well enough to do the show. And even if she does seem better then, I still wouldn't feel comfortable with her exerting the energy like that.."

"Yeah...me too," Freddie agreed as the two of them sighed. There was a small pause of silence as they stared ahead at the TV in front of them before Freddie looked over at Carly once more. "So...do you think Sam will give in to canceling the show?" He asked with a small smile, fully knowing the answer.

"Not a chance," Carly laughed in reply.

"That's what I thought," Freddie chuckled. Both of them knew that their friend was basically yes-ing them upstairs when confronted about doing the show. Unfortunately they were eventually going to have to deal with the situation when the time came around to do it.

"So..." Carly murmured, looking over at Freddie. "Wanna revamp some iCarly ideas?"

"Huh?"

"Make this week's show a little less excitable so Sam can host?" Carly laughed as Freddie smiled, showing he understood what she was talking about.

"That sounds like a good idea," He nodded. And with that, the two kids got out some pastel colored index cards and began redoing that week's iCarly to suit Sam's health, as they knew the girl was not going to back down from doing the show, no matter what.

* * *

Eventually the time passed and it was soon nightfall once more. After a night of discussing iCarly ideas, Freddie said his good byes to Carly before getting ready to go home. The last time Spencer checked in on Sam was twenty minutes ago, and the girl was still asleep, so Freddie just told Carly to wish her good health whenever she woke up. And with that he left.

Everything was quiet in the Shay apartment as Carly sat on the couch, putting a rubber band over the iCarly cards.

Spencer walked into the living room from his hallway, dressed in pajama pants and a t-shirt. "Hey little sis, where's Freddo?"

Carly turned around to look at her brother. "He went home for the night."

"Ah, I see.." Spencer replied, making his way over to the kitchen counter. By now Carly had finished up with her cards and stood up from the couch and walked over to her brother. She noticed that he was getting some pills out and a glass of apple juice.

"Sam's antibiotics?"

"Mhm," Spencer nodded, shaking a few pills out into his hands.

"Well I'm glad you figured out how to open the bottle on your own this time," Carly smiled, placing her packet of index cards on the table.

"Haha!" Spencer replied sarcastically with a smile. "Well I had to learn eventually to make sure Sam keeps up on her pills so she gets better."

"Yeah," Carly nodded in agreement. "Last time I checked in on her, she was still shivering in her sleep. I wish she would warm up."

"Well, she has been flipping back and forth between temperatures, but I want to make sure you know something," Spencer explained as he closed up the pill bottle. "Because of the fever, her temperature is still high despite feeling cold, so we can't overheat her, alright?"

"So.....if Sam asks for more blankets or a heating pad, I say no?"

"Unfortunately, yeah. If your comforter had a lighter blanket I'd say it was alright to add an extra one, but it's heavy enough to be too warm for additional blankets," Spencer nodded.

"Great," Carly frowned, realizing there was yet another thing that her best friend was going to have to go through with barely any help.

"Any who, wanna bring these up to her? She has to take them."

"Sure no problem," Carly nodded. "I was going to go to bed soon anyway, I'm beat,"

"Same," Spencer agreed. "Today was a tiring day."

"I know," Carly added, realizing what her brother went through. And with that he handed her the pills and a glass of apple juice before she turned around and started making her way towards the steps. "Oh, and Spencer?" Carly stopped at the bottom step to look at her brother.

"Hm?" He asked, putting away the apple juice contained in the fridge.

"Thanks for taking care of Sam."

Spencer just turned around as he smiled. "Of course." And with that, Carly smiled back before ascending the steps.

* * *

When the brunette girl walked down the hallway and into her room, she was surprised to see the blankets of her bed were tossed to the side as it was empty. The only thing there was Frothy, laying in the middle of the messy pile.

"Sam?" Carly's question was quickly answered as she heard the bathroom flush. Soon enough her best friend came back out.

"Oh hey," Sam replied, slowly shuffling towards the bed and sitting on the edge.

"Hey," Carly smiled, sitting down next to her. "Have some more pills for you."

"Ugh," Sam moaned, starting to get annoyed at the amount she had to take. "I feel like an old person. Soon I'm going to have to carry around one of those Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday pill holder thingies," Sam replied with a yawn as Carly handed her the pills.

"Nah, I don't think it's that bad yet," Carly laughed.

"Then you try eating these things," Sam smiled tiredly at her before shoving them into her mouth. She then took the glass of apple juice from her friend. "So what time is it?" Sam asked before tilting the glass to her mouth and drinking.

"Um nine at night, roughly," Carly waited patiently as Sam finished her drink before taking back the empty glass.

"Man," Sam sighed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she sat back against the headboard of the bed. "It's like time has no meaning anymore.." She explained tiredly. "It felt like I was taking to you and Freddie just ten minutes ago."

"Yeah, you fell asleep at around three, so we decided to leave so we wouldn't bother you," Carly explained as she reached over and set the glass on the nightstand.

Sam just sighed and closed her eyes as she laid back against a pillow. "Freddie go home?"

"Yup," Carly nodded. "He told me to tell you that he hopes you feel better in the morning,"

"That was nice of him," Sam replied quietly, her eyes still closed. Carly could tell by the softness of her friend's tone she was starting to go out of it. But before the blond girl could fall asleep once again, Carly wanted to make sure she was alright with her wound.

"Oh yeah, and before you go to sleep," Carly started to say as Sam opened her eyes tiredly and looked up at her. "Have you cleaned out your wound today?"

Sam looked at her for a moment before glancing away. "Um no," She chuckled sheepishly. "I kind of forgot...with the whole hospital thing."

Carly just sighed with a smile. Of course Sam would forget about cleaning her wound after being told that it was infected. "Well before you go to sleep, let's get that done alright?"

"Alright," Sam sighed, letting Carly take a parental role over her. She was too tired to say otherwise. And with that the blond girl closed her eyes as she felt Carly get off the bed and walk into the bathroom. Soon enough the brunette girl returned with a wet soapy hand towel in one hand, and a dry one in the other.

"Here," Carly replied as she held out the wet towel to Sam while sitting down next to her. The blond girl just opened her eyes lazily and held out her own hand, not even trying to reach for it. Carly just chuckled as she bent down the rest of the way and gave Sam the towel. Once the blond girl had it in her grasp, she slowly rolled up her shirt a few inches to reveal the bandaged wound. At this point, Carly turned away as Sam started working on removing it. The brunette girl still felt a bit ill at the whole idea of a gash, and watching her friend remove a bandage was too much for her stomach.

"You're so squeamish," Sam laughed tiredly, feeling way too exhausted to get the bandage off, but finally did.

"I know I know!" Carly replied, looking towards her TV. "Just...clean it up!" She laughed. But when there was no response, Carly cocked an eyebrow and looked over at her best friend. Her face fell in disappointment when she saw that Sam was holding the wet towel to her stomach, but wasn't moving. The blond's eyes were closed as if she were asleep. "Sam.." Carly moaned, reaching over and grasping her friend's hand which was currently holding the towel. "Let's get this done before you go to sleep."

Sam just grumbled in response, to which Carly rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll help." She then started to help Sam clean out her cut by keeping a hold of her friend's hand and slowly moving it across the wound. It was a hard process to do considering the sick girl's arm was completely dead. "C'mon Sam, work with me here!" Carly murmured, holding her friend's limp hand up. It was a surprise that Sam was still even holding the towel.

"Mmm..work.." Sam slurred, tilting her head to the side against the pillow with her eyes closed. Carly just sighed tiredly at this as she moved Sam's hand over her stomach to continue cleaning out the wound. The brunette stayed careful and made sure not to press Sam's hand too hard against it because even she could see the slight redness that represented the infection.

After a little while, Carly finished helping Sam clean out her wound and started drying it with a towel. At this point Carly had given up on even making Sam do it, and placed the girl's hand to the side as she finished the job herself. By now Sam had gone totally dead and was pretty much asleep. Once everything was dry, Carly sighed as she got off the bed to put away the towels in her bathroom. Afterward, she found a packet of new bandages in her bathroom, and brought them out with her. She then sat back down on the bed once more and finished up the task. After taking the gauze out, Carly carefully set it over Sam's wound and rolled her shirt back down. When all was done, Carly then took the supplies and placed them on the nightstand before looking back down at her best friend. The girl had already started snoring, as if to reemphasize the point she that was no help throughout the entire situation. Carly just rolled her eyes at this and smiled.

"You're so difficult!" She laughed. And with that, the brunette girl climbed off the bed and went to her dresser to find some pajamas to get ready for the night.

* * *

It was now midnight in Seattle and everything was quiet in the apartment. Everyone was asleep and resting peacefully, at least for a while. It had only been three hours since the girls went to sleep when Sam started to toss and turn...to the best of her ability, considering she couldn't roll over onto her side or stomach.

"Oh man.." The girl moaned quietly, as she noticed that she had managed to wake herself up by shivering and moving. As she shook off the dead sleep, Sam realized that the room's temperature seemed to be twenty below zero. She looked around and noticed that she couldn't see anything as the TV had been shut off and everything was pitch black. Sam quickly deduced it had to be the middle of the night or so, especially since she could hear the soft sounds of her best friend breathing next to her. Quickly figuring that Carly was asleep, Sam took a deep breath and tried to stay as still as possible. Even though she was off the Vicodin and on Percocet, she still didn't want to take any chances of sitting up too quickly and possibly making herself dizzy as that always seemed to happen during the night when she couldn't see. Plus, there was no reason to really sit up at all. She was still tired and felt cruddy enough to just want to go back to sleep.

"Alright...just close my eyes...and drift right back out.." Sam spoke to herself quietly as she closed her eyes and tried to fall back asleep. As she laid there, she couldn't help but shiver as the fever continued to wrack her body. Also, her muscles ached from being in the same position too long and her body wasn't allowing sleep. Sam tried her best to ignore these sensations and drift back out, but after about a minute of silence, her eyes snapped back open. "Dang it! I can't get comfortable!" She growled to herself quietly. After sucking in a deep breath, the blond girl tried to roll over onto her left side, but as soon as she moved, she could feel a gross pressure in her incision and instantly rolled back over onto her back. "Great, can't try laying on my right, because then I'll just rip my stomach open." Sam sighed, starting to get angry with herself. In a moment of frustration, she jerked her limbs around and smacked her fists down on the bed by her sides, temporarily forgetting her friend was right next to her.

Because of this harsh movement, Carly was broken out of her deep sleep. The brunette girl opened her eyes, and let out a soft sigh as she rolled over onto her back, slowly waking up. Meanwhile, Sam was currently unaware of this and continued to shuffle her arms and legs around the bed, trying to find a comfortable position.

As Sam continued her struggle with the bed, Carly had managed to fully wake up and figured out what was going on as she could hear the frantic rustling of covers, and soft moans of discomfort next to her. The brunette girl looked over to her left side and, despite it being completely dark, realized that Sam was obviously not having a good night's rest. Just as Carly was about to open her mouth and ask if she was alright, Sam unintentionally cut her off.

"I hate this.." The blond girl mumbled to herself.

"Hate what?"

"Oh!" Sam exclaimed as she jumped a bit in surprise, not expecting a reply.

"Sorry!" Carly's voice quickly replied in the dark, not having meant to startle her friend. Sam turned her head over to her right but saw nothing as the room was pitch black.

"Did I wake you?" She asked softly. There was a small pause until she heard a response.

"Nah, I've just been half asleep.." Carly lied. Her best friend's soft moans along with the tossing and turning was what truly woke her up. Carly decided to keep the truth from Sam in order to avoid making her feel guilty.

"Oh.." Sam replied, not sure of her friend's honesty.

"Are you ok though?" Carly asked quietly.

"For the most part.." Sam paused as she let out a sigh.

Carly could tell by Sam's weak tone of voice that she was really tired...but then again, who wouldn't be in the middle of the night, especially with a fever. "How are you feeling?" The brunette girl asked gently.

"Honestly...not too good."

Carly frowned upon hearing this. "Are you sick to your stomach?"

"No, nothing like that."

"What do you mean then?" Carly asked patiently.

"I feel..." Sam paused for a moment, feeling too tired to even think. "...drained," She finally finished. "Just not feeling well," Sam added tiredly, keeping her answer vague. Carly couldn't help but feel bad for her friend, wishing she could do something to help.

"Well, do you want me to get Spencer?" Carly asked softly, unsure of what Sam needed at this point due to her general description.

"I'm tired, sore, and achy...but it's nothing serious enough to go get him," She confirmed quietly. "Honest. I just really want to go to sleep," The blond girl let off another small sigh, but cut it short as she felt something rest against her head. After a quick tense moment, Sam relaxed as she realized it was just her best friend's hand.

"Yeah..you're still running a fever," Carly replied softly as she gently let go of her friend's forehead. "Do you feel any _worse_ than before though?"

"Nah. Just the same old junk. A bit chilly," Sam stopped for a second as she moved her legs and arms around once more. "And I can't get comfortable at all!"

"Is it the mattress?" Carly asked, wondering if maybe there was a way she could fluff up the bed with some extra pillows or something.

"No, not that. I just can't stand sleeping on my back anymore! My body aches, and if I turn onto my side, I feel like my insides are going to fall out."

"Oh.." Carly replied, thinking for a moment. "Um, how about sitting up a bit? Maybe that will feel better?"

"Huh?"

"Like this," Carly stated softly as she sat up. Sam remained silent as she felt the bed shift slightly, signaling that her friend was moving. The blond girl was about to ask where Carly was going until she realized the girl had shifted right next to her. "Sit up for a second."

"Um..ok," Sam replied as she slowly gripped the covers over the mattress and started to pull herself up. As she struggled, Sam felt Carly put her hands against her back and help, alleviating the pressure on her wound. "Thanks," She replied quietly, glad to see that there were no dizzy sensations.

"You're welcome," Carly nodded as she let go of Sam and started pulling up a few pillows. Unfortunetly, as soon as Sam felt her best friend's hands leave her, she started to feel cold on her back again as it wasn't covered by a blanket. "Now we just put some pillows over here like this," Carly's voice explained in the dark as she set up a few against the headboard.

"C-could you h-hurry up?" Sam asked quietly, pulling the covers up to her chin to try and make up for her exposed back. Her previously captured body heat was now escaping from the open blanket, and Sam was starting to feel icy.

"Sorry! Just had to make sure the pillows were propped up correctly."

"Ah yes, proper pillow placement is key," Sam let off a small chuckle between shivers. Carly smiled at her friend's joke.

"Alright, now just scoot back a bit and relax yourself against the headboard," Carly instructed. Sam did as she was told and laid against it and into the pillows. While she wasn't sitting completely upright, her body was still angled at a more elevated level than just simply lying down on her back. Carly was right that this would feel better, and Sam let off a small sigh of comfort as she relaxed her head against her pillow. With her back propped up a bit, her muscles didn't ache as badly and she felt a bit more at ease. Still, as comfortable as she was, Sam was still chilly.

"Feel better?" Carly asked quietly.

"Y-y-yeah." Sam replied, her teeth chattering as she tried to build up her body heat once more.

"You alright?" Carly could hear that her friend was still pretty under the weather.

"Yeah...it's just..I'm so cold," Sam moaned, pulling the blanket up to her chin. Carly was still sitting upright next to her, and felt Sam pull the covers across her to try and get warmer.

"I'd get you an extra blanket but Spencer told me the doctor said you couldn't.."

"I know, I know," Sam sighed, cutting her best friend off. "Can't overheat the fever."

Carly frowned as she heard her best friend let off another tired sigh. "Well...do you want me to get you something warm to drink? I don't think that would do any harm.."

"No..it's ok." Sam replied quietly. Even though the idea of a warm drink sounded amazing, there was no way she was going to make her best friend get up in the middle of the night to get one for her, especially since she was 90% sure she was the reason that Carly woke up in the first place. "I just wish...there was something that could take the edge off, you know?" Sam let out a deep sigh.

"Yeah.." Carly paused for a minute as she tried to think of a solution. She glanced over at the spot where Sam would be but saw nothing as it was too dark. _'Spencer said she can't bundle up...but maybe I can help just a bit..' _Carly thought as she once again scooted over closer to Sam. "I've got an idea. Can you sit up again for a second?"

"Why?" Sam moaned, not wanting to expose her back once more.

"Just do it," Carly sighed, not ready for her friend's stubbornness to come back yet. Sam finally gave in and complied, straining her muscles as she lifted her back off the pillows and sat forward.

"What are you going to..?" Her question was cut off as she felt Carly slink behind her and sit down. The brunette girl then sat back against the pillows she had set up for Sam, temporarily replacing them with her own body for her sick friend. Once Carly had positioned herself against the headboard for backing, she reached over and lightly wrapped her arms around Sam, giving her a hug from behind.

"Now just lay back and try to get comfortable." Carly stated as she gently pulled Sam's shaking body against herself so that her best friend could use her in place of the headboard and pillows.

The blond gently rested her back against Carly's front and tilted her cheek against her friend's left shoulder. "Huh? But why..?" Sam tried to ask once more but was cut off yet again.

"Oh be quiet for a second, will you?" Carly chuckled as kept her hands along Sam's arms to try and warm her up. Carly figured that her friend could get some body heat without smothering the fever as it was only her friend's back and arms that were coming into contact with her.

Sam realized what Carly was doing as she was starting to feel her friend's warmth spread over her icy arms and against her back. At first, she was going to protest about being babied in such a way, but then noticed just how much comfort Carly was bringing her. But despite how soothing it was, Sam realized she wanted just a bit more warmth as the front of her body wasn't getting any of the heat. Almost involuntarily, the blond girl ignored the sore sensations in her incision, and rolled over towards her best friend and wrapped her arms around her, returning the hug. She brought up her knees and curled up in a fetal position next to Carly to try and grab as much warmth as she could. At this point, Sam knew she had no tough image left, and finally gave in to being babied.

"Whoa hold on there!" Carly laughed as Sam latched onto her, surprised to see that her friend was complying a little _too much_. The girl was practically trying to mesh the two of them into one person.

"Sorry," The blond girl muffled into her shoulder. "But I'm freezing my butt off!"

"I know," Carly replied sympathetically. "But you can't overheat yourself!" She stated, feeling her friend's feverish skin against her own.

"How can I overheat myself when I'm an ice cube?" Sam asked, not budging an inch.

"You may feel cold, but you're pretty hot."

"Thanks, you're not so bad looking yourself."

"Shut up!" Carly laughed as she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, bad times, bad jokes," Sam gave a small shrug, continuing to hold onto her friend for warmth.

"Yes, quite bad," Carly laughed in agreement. "But still, I don't want your temperature to go up. If you hug onto me like this, you could start getting too much heat."

"Ugh.." Sam moaned. If Carly was in her place, then her best friend would have realized how much she didn't care about making her fever go up. All she wanted was some relief from the chills.

"Look," Carly stated softly as she realized her best friend wasn't moving. "I'll stay with you and offer some warmth,but only enough to take the edge off. Plus, you need to stay on your back....which also brings up another point why you can't stay like this. This position puts too much pressure on your wound," Carly finished, going through a legitimate deja vu. There was a moment of silence before she felt her friend inhale a deep breath and break off the hug.

"Fine," Sam moaned in defeat, turning over so her back was leaning against Carly's front once more as she faced towards the foot of the bed. She felt the icy chill of the room grip her arms again.

"Thanks for understanding," Carly replied gratefully, glad that her friend wasn't drugged up to the point of crying like what almost happened nights before.

"Yeah yeah..whatev," Sam sighed, depressed about the cold as she started to shiver once more. Although, she paused when she felt Carly place her hands back on her arms. With a small sigh, the blond girl tilted her head to the right against her friend's shoulder and glanced up behind her at the spot where Carly's face would be. "Thanks.." She stated quietly.

"You're welcome," Carly smiled, even though it was a moot point considering the two girls were in the dark.

* * *

**The return of CAM! xD I love writing the friendshippy moments like this. =)**

**Also, I was sick two nights ago with a fever, and believe me, you really don't care about being babied when you feel like that! Not even if you're as tough as Sam! The chills are awful! Every time I moved just a little bit in the blanket, I lost body heat and was freezing. So I took my experience and decided to have Carly be there for Sam when she was feeling like that.  
**


	100. The Best Medicine

**Ah! Chapter 100! I NEVER thought that this story would go this far! I'm so excited about this! And I just want to thank all of my reviewers for sticking with the story! I truly appreciate your input which is what keeps it going! ^_^ In all honesty, this story was just a way for me to kill some time during the summer. I was planning to end the story once Sam got out of the hospital, (and once I would go to college) but your reviews have made the recovery scenes so much fun to write that I couldn't stop! So you all should give yourself a pat on the back as well! Without you guys, I don't think I would have had the patience and motivation to keep writing! Thank you so much! =)**

**

* * *

**The two girls sat in the dark for a while, trying to let sleep overtake their minds once more. Carly continued to support her friend up, feeling bad for her as the girl let off a few shivers every ten seconds or so. It reminded her about what happened back at the hospital with the anesthesia, and Carly just wished Sam would feel better already. She knew the recovery would have a few bumps along the way, which unfortunately her friend had to deal with in order to get better. It was just a shame that there were so many.

The brunette girl's thoughts were broken off though as Sam let off another quiet moan, tilting her head over to the left against her friend's shoulder. Carly had been listening to her give off soft moans throughout the night for about three minutes now and it tore her heart apart. She hated seeing anyone she cared for in such bad health, and it was especially tough with Sam since the girl wouldn't give into this kind of stuff unless she was feeling just awful. And as if to add to the depressing atmosphere, Carly continued to feel Sam shake slightly in her arms, knowing she couldn't bundle her up completely for warmth as it would be unhealthy for her. The sick girl then let out another moan as Carly felt her friend tilt her head against her shoulder again.

"Hey, you alright?" Carly asked softly. At first she had tried to stay quiet for her friend's comfort, but started noticing that Sam was getting more restless as her moans were getting louder and sounded like whimpers. There was a pause in a response, but it finally came.

"Was that me?" Sam asked quietly, breaking the silence. She had been teetering on the edge of an ill sleep, but unfortunately her body wasn't allowing her to go over it. Because of that, she had just been in a foggy state of discomfort in which she was subconsciously letting off moans of sickness. Carly quickly realized that Sam was unaware of this until the blond heard herself with that last one.

"Yeah, but it's alright.."

"Man, I didn't even realize I was saying anything.." Sam sighed, feeling hazy.

"Don't worry about it," Carly explained to her softly. "Are you ok though?"

"Yeah..it's just...I'm so tired...but can't sleep. Man Carls..I really think I screwed up my sleeping cycle..." She paused as she let out a sigh.

"Yeah, napping more than three times during the day will do that to you," Carly added with a chuckle, trying to lighten up the atmosphere.

"True.." Sam replied with a weak smile and a laugh. "But...the worst part of it is...I'm keeping you up," Sam replied softly, looking up behind her at where her best friend's face would be had it not been dark. Carly felt Sam look up at her and realized she was feeling guilty.

"But..you keep me up all the time," Carly chuckled, referring to the many times Sam had slept over and whined her ear off about getting some midnight snacks and whatnot.

"Well yeah, but this time it's different_. I _don't even want to be up," Sam gave a weak laugh.

"Oh I get it. You dictate when the _both _of us gets to sleep, huh?"

"Exactly," Sam gave a small nod against her best friend's shoulder. "And right now, I'm allowing you to go to sleep."

"Huh?" Carly asked curiously until she felt Sam slowly sit forward with a small grumble.

"Look, you can go back to your side of the bed and fall asleep. I don't mind," Sam paused for a moment as she let off a shiver. With Carly's warmth gone, the room's temperature went down drastically. "..I-I c-can d-deal," Sam's voice explained in the dark, her own regretful tone betraying her words. Carly wasn't buying it.

"Sam, your teeth are chattering," Carly exclaimed in retaliation, knowing that her friend was starting to get stubborn. "Now get back over here," The brunette girl sat forward and lightly grasped Sam's shoulders, pulling her best friend back against her. Sam laid into Carly's arms once more, welcoming the warmth. Still, she did not like the idea of making Carly stay up with her because she felt sick. That was something only a weak child did with a parent, and Sam wasn't sure if she could fall asleep with this thought nagging her.

"C-Carly, I s-said it's ok. You don't n-need to stay awake with me," Sam tried to say once more, but the brunette girl knew better, especially since her best friend hadn't tried fighting back when she was pulled back into the hug. If Sam was truly opposed to the idea, she would have made some form of retaliation, and the blond girl didn't even lift a finger.

"Would you stop worrying about me?" Carly asked, keeping her hands against Sam's arms, trying to warm her back up. "I don't mind staying up with you. I understand that you're still under the weather and going through a tough time, so you don't have to feel guilty about this. You need to relax," Carly then let out a deep sigh. "And Sam.." She started to say as the blond girl continued to listen curiously. "...I never thought I would have to say this to you but...just stop thinking, and try to go to sleep, ok?" Carly laughed.

Sam couldn't help but smile in the dark. It was times like these that Carly reminded her why they were best friends. "Alright, I'll try," Sam nodded obediently. "Mother Shay," She finished with a laugh.

Carly just rolled her eyes jokingly. "Good night Sam,"

"Ok ok.." Sam smiled, closing her eyes and settling down.

* * *

Around three minutes had passed when Sam opened her eyes back up. "Carly?" She asked, wondering if her friend was still awake. By the long and exasperated moan following her question, Sam realized she was.

"Sammmm..." Carly moaned, wondering if her friend was going to ignore everything they just talked about a few minutes ago. "What now?"

"I'm getting on your nerves huh?" Sam laughed nervously, hearing the slight bit of irritation in her friend's voice.

Carly paused for a second, wondering if she should have taken that tone with her friend or not. "Depends on what you want.." She stated hesitantly.

"Uh nothing...nevermind. I'll be quiet," Sam sighed, feeling more guilt for bothering her friend.

Carly quickly realized she shouldn't have taken that tone with Sam. "No no, I'm sorry!" She added hastily, wanting to clear things up. "I thought you were going to try and get me to leave again! Really, what do you want?" The brunette asked softly. Usually she was pretty good at guessing what Sam was going to say, or whine and moan about, but her radar was a bit off considering the girl was sick. It was obvious the blond wasn't trying to be stubborn again, and Carly inadvertently acted a bit rude to her, by thinking she was.

"Oh.." Sam chuckled softly, realizing why Carly replied that way. "Um...I was just going to ask if you were asleep yet."

Carly paused for a moment as she cocked her eyebrow before smiling as she rolled her eyes. "No Sam, I'm not asleep."

Sam was relieved to hear her friend let off a small chuckle at the end of her statement. "Yeah, I gathered as much," She laughed in response, before cutting it off and shivering.

Carly frowned, rubbing her hands against Sam's arms to try and warm her up once more.

"Man..," Sam sighed, tilting her head to the side as she welcomed her friend's warmth. "Sometimes I wonder if getting the surgery done was worth it. I feel like crap."

"Of course it was!" Carly exclaimed, feeling Sam jump in her arms slightly from the small outburst.

"Calm down there," Sam laughed weakly. "Didn't mean to get you all whipped up."

"Sorry," Carly replied softly, not having meant to startle her sick friend. "It's just that...if you didn't get the surgery done, well..." Her voice trailed off as there was a long pause.

"Right," Sam sighed, remembering the ordeal she put herself in, as well as her friends.

"You really scared us there Sam.."

"I..," The blond paused for a second, feeling even more guilt build up, if possible. "..I didn't mean to..."

"Well you did. Badly," Carly replied gently.

"I didn't think it was anything to worry about then, honest!"

"But a stomachache...lasting for two whole days?" Carly asked.

"That's actually pretty normal for me," Sam laughed sheepishly as Carly smiled, knowing her friend was telling the truth.

"Still, you should have told us when it got worse..."

"I still didn't think it was too bad..." Sam sighed.

"You puked two times and then passed out in my living room!"

"Not one of my finer moments huh?" Sam chuckled nervously.

"No, and by that I mean not telling us how you were feeling. You know I'm still mad at you for that right?" Carly added.

"Yeah but...who can stay mad at a sick and sad Sam?" The blond asked, sticking her bottom lip out and pouting.

The girls just sat quietly in the dark for a second before Carly finally replied. "You're doing that face aren't you?"

"Yes," Sam answered honestly. "I'm just too tired to reach over for a flash light to show you. You'll have to visualize."

"No thanks!" Carly laughed. "I'm going to take advantage of the dark to fend that one off."

"Blah my plan foiled.." Sam moaned dramatically.

Carly just laughed before taking a deep breath. "But really Sam, why were you so against getting help?" She decided on going back to the main topic.

"Well..." The sick girl paused for a moment, trying to think. "I was worried about looking weak in front of you guys.." Sam finally replied truthfully, not worried about her emotions anymore. But just as Carly was about to respond, the blond cut her off. "But now, here I am! Sitting in the dark with a fever, with my friend's arms wrapped around me," Sam then let off a dragged sigh. "Can't get much weaker than _that_..."

"Sam.." Carly finally stated softly. "You've got to stop worrying about things like this! We honestly don't care about..."

"No, I know that now!" Sam quickly cut her best friend off. "Believe me," She gave a quick laugh. "You, Spencer, Freddie....all you guys have told me that so many times this past week, that I've lost count. I may have a thick skull, but stuff eventually_ does_ get through."

Carly couldn't help but laugh at her friend's blunt honesty. "Good!"

Sam just rolled her eyes playfully before shivering harshly once more. With a soft moan she gently placed her arms over top of Carly's which were currently wrapped around her stomach lightly. "You know...not to get all mushy yucky sappy, but, since I'm letting off some emotional baggage here....I just wanted to say I'm really glad you're here with me."

Carly's eyebrows went up in shock at hearing such a caring sentiment from her friend before she smiled. "Well, other than your using the adjective 'yucky' to describe that statement, I'm really glad you're here with me too," She smiled, feeling Sam give off a sigh of comfort. She was starting to notice that the girl was seemingly getting more comfortable.

"Yeah, I'm glad I'm here too," Sam let off a tired laugh. "That whole surgery thing freaked me out!"

"I'll say!" Carly exclaimed.

"Yeah yeah, I know, all the running away and junk...but...I really started panicking when they put me to sleep."

"Oh?"

"I went through some jank nightmares during the surgery," Sam sighed, letting off a shiver in remembrance.

Carly paused for a moment. "Yeah...when you woke up after surgery, you _were_ pretty freaked about something."

"Was I?" Sam asked with a yawn. "I don't remember too much about coming out of the anesthesia other than a ton of puking."

"Yeah, you kept asking if you were dead or not," Carly replied softly as she felt Sam tense up in her arms, showing her that her friend was still bothered by the dream. There was a small pause in the conversation. "Anything you want to talk about?" Carly asked hesitantly, feeling her friend's frigid body.

Sam thought for a moment, before letting off a deep sigh. "Actually...yeah, if you don't mind.."

"Of course not," Carly smiled, glad that Sam was finally up to discussing her nightmare. It took a few days, but it was obvious that the dream had still bothered her. Carly knew it would be better to just talk about it so Sam could relax. "So, what happened?"

"Well, they had to put the anesthesia junk in my body, so they put this crazy mask over my face and made me count backwards from ten," Sam started.

"Kind of like at the dentist?" Carly asked as she felt Sam nod against her shoulder.

"Yeah, but worse! The only reason I couldn't fight back was because of the morphine they had me on," Sam then paused for a moment, trying to remember all that happened. "Anyways...when I was doing the countdown thing, I started to hear Freddie's voice."

"Oh I get it now! Freddie was in your dream! That's why you freaked!" Carly laughed.

"Oh shut up!" Sam laughed as she placed her hand over Carly's and lightly pinched her friend's wrist.

"Ow!"

"Now be quiet," Sam chuckled.

"Alright, shutting up," Carly confirmed with a smile, allowing Sam to continue.

"Anyways, without any further interruptions," Sam smirked as she just knew Carly was rolling her eyes behind her. "When I got to five, Freddie started counting down with me. At first I thought it was just the drugs in my system making me hear things, but I think that's when I fell asleep."

"Why?"

"Because when I woke up I was in the middle of an iCarly web show," Sam chuckled.

"Oh! Yeah, you had to have been asleep."

"Definitely, because soon after, you guys just disappeared."

Carly felt Sam grip her arms a bit tighter, showing her that her friend was bothered by this part. "We disappeared?" She asked gently.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad, but then you guys reappeared like a few seconds after." Sam confirmed.

"Oh, so things got better then?"

"Not really.." Sam replied quietly. "Then I started reliving stuff, like when Spencer called in the ambulance."

"Spencer was there?" Carly asked.

"Yeah, and Mrs. Benson too. It's a dream, so it doesn't make any sense..." Sam then paused for a moment, thinking hard. "Or maybe this one made too much sense..." She sighed, remembering the epiphany she had during it.

"Um, would it be alright to say that I'm confused at this point?' Carly asked as Sam was broken out of her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh yeah yeah, that's fine. It _is _a bit confusing overall. Anyways, so like I said, I was reliving when Spencer called in the ambulance guys. Remember when they brought up the gurney?"

"How could I forget?" Carly replied with a smile. "You ran out of there as if your pants were on fire!"

"Correction, I _almost_ ran out of there," Sam sighed tiredly. "You slammed the door before I could get out, remember?"

"Yeah.." Carly replied softly, remembering how tense that moment was.

"Well in my dream, I got out of the door before you closed it."

"So you ran out of the apartment?" Carly asked curiously.

"Yup. I got all the way out into the streets."

"Oh..then what happened?" Carly asked curiously.

"I tripped...and fell," Sam stated slowly before continuing. "...and died."

Carly just paused for a moment, hearing the tone in her friend's voice switch drastically. "Died? How?" She asked carefully.

"At first I didn't know it, because after I tripped and fell onto the sidewalk, I blacked out and woke up in the iCarly studio once more. There, you and Freddie were...packing up all the iCarly stuff in boxes."

"Packing up?" Carly asked softly as she felt Sam nod slowly in her arms.

"You guys were crying," Sam sighed, feeling too drained to describe all the emotion she felt during those few moments of sleep. "Eventually I figured out why because you and Freddie were talking, and saying stuff to each other. You talked about how the doctors said my appendix ruptured once my side hid the sidewalk after tripping, and that my heart stopped or something..."

At that moment, Carly froze. The memories of her and Freddie researching about appendicitis on his laptop in the hospital's waiting room came into mind. Just like in Sam's dream, they read about how appendicitis could shut down vital organs. At that point, Carly couldn't bring herself to tell Sam that. Her friend's dream was too eerily accurate for her comfort.

"So then.." Sam continued, pulling the brunette out of her thoughts. "I started freaking out as usual, and tried to get out of there. That's when I finally woke up from the surgery," Sam then paused as she glanced up behind her to see Carly's face, despite it being dark. "You guys don't know how relieved I was to see you."

"Y-yeah.." Carly stuttered with a small smile. Suddenly everything made so much sense. It was no wonder that Sam was worried about being dead when waking up. That dream sounded horrible, and too realistic for Carly's liking. There was another pause of silence before Sam finally spoke.

"So....what do you make of it?"

"What?" Carly asked, not completely sure about what her friend meant.

"My dream. Do you think that...if I didn't stop running, I would have killed myself?" Sam asked in a more serious tone than the brunette had ever heard from her.

Carly furrowed her brow as she thought for a moment. "Well, I, I don't know Sam. I mean, the doctor told us your appendix had leaked a bit during surgery and that it was on the verge of bursting. If you fell...maybe it was possible?" The brunette added weakly, not wanting to upset her friend, but not wanting to lie about what was said either.

"Oh.." Sam replied softly before taking another deep breath. "Carls?"

"Yeah?"

"You know, going by my nightmare....if _you_ didn't stop me from running away, I would have died."

"Yeah.." Carly chuckled nervously. "...but, that was just a stupid dream. Everything's ok now." She was feeling a bit uncomfortable about discussing her best friend's possible death.

"Maybe...but then again, what if that nightmare was supposed to show me something?" Sam asked hesitantly.

"Well...I..." Carly's response was cut off though as she felt Sam sit forward and turn around before bringing her into a hug.

"Out of everyone, it was _you_ who stopped me. I-I don't really know what to say other than......thank you," Sam stated quietly, burying her face into her best friend's shoulder.

Carly realized the amount of emotion in this hug from her friend's tone of voice, and firmly returned it without hurting the girl. "Of course Sam.." She replied softly. The two of them knew how much this meant to each other, and after a good minute or so of silent hugging, they finally broke it off. With a small sigh, Carly noticed that she felt her friend's bandage scrape through her shirt once more, and knew she had to say something. "Sam...I don't really want to ruin the moment here but.."

"I know I know, gotta lay on my back," Sam replied with a laugh as she shuffled her body and turned around. Carly couldn't help but laugh as well. Despite the seriousness of their conversation, they always found a way to bring it back to the humor. Once the girls repositioned themselves properly, Carly wrapped her arms back around Sam from behind.

"That good?" Carly asked as her friend nodded.

"Yeah," Sam replied. "...and I think I can go to sleep now," She smiled as she closed her eyes, feeling a lot more comfortable than before. For all the pills and medications she had to take, Sam realized that talking to her best friend was the best medicine for her.

* * *

**One of the more heavy CAM friendship moments. =)** **I figured having a more serious scene for chapter 100 would be best! **

**So, a quick explanation for this chapter: At this point, I think Sam has finally torn down all of her emotional walls! (Which I've been trying to do ever since chapter 1! I hope the progression in the story seemed realistic!) The reason why I decided on writing the chapter like this was because I always figured that each character had a special relation to Sam, and that she would feel most comfortable talking this freely about her emotions to Carly (her best friend of course!). That's why I didn't have Sam struggle too much with talking about her feelings in this one. I just think, that at this point, she has learned a lot from her friends and can finally relax about all the mental stuff. :P If that makes sense to you guys! **

**Also, one last side note: I hope this chapter came out alright because even though I like it, I feel as if I missed something, or didn't write something right. Either way, I hope you guys enjoy reading!  
**


	101. Thursday Morning

It had been a while since things settled down. Even though Sam told Carly she finally felt well enough to go to sleep, the brunette decided to stay up and make sure her friend drifted out before she did. It was now ten minutes since the girls last said anything to each other and Carly looked down as she realized Sam was shivering less frequently. Every once in a while the blond would give off a small shake, but other than that, her body was relaxing a lot more. After waiting another minute or so, Carly felt Sam's head tilt against her shoulder as the girl's weight became a bit heavier in her arms. Sam's back leaned into her as if the blond completely gave up any muscle tensions she was previously holding. Soon enough, the small snores came from within the sick girl's throat. By listening to the soft and calm breathing, while supporting up the newly found dead weight in her arms, Carly quickly realized that Sam had finally fallen asleep. It had taken a while, but Carly was glad to see her friend was now getting some rest. But even though Sam sounded better after talking, Carly could tell she was still pretty sick, particularly by the amount of heat her friend's body was radiating. It almost made Carly feel as though she herself had a fever. But despite the temperature, the brunette still held onto Sam to keep the chills away.

_'Fevers are so weird..'_ Carly thought with a tired yawn as she gently rested her chin on top of her best friend's head. Here Sam was, giving off tiny shivers, while the girl's skin felt as though one could fry eggs off it. The brunette figured there was a logical explanation for this, but was too tired to think about it. All she knew was that, even though her friend felt cold, Sam's skin needed to be cooled off. _'Probably should get her a cloth for her head but.......I can't move.'_ Carly thought dejectedly. After going through all the trouble of getting Sam to fall asleep, there was no way she was going to wake her friend up just to move. With this thought in mind, Carly quietly listened to the girl snore softly in her arms, feeling bad for not preparing for bed in the best way. As the two sat in the dark, Sam gave off a small sigh in her sleep as she tilted her head and pressed her cheek against the brunette's shoulder. While doing this, she shuffled her body the tiniest bit, and Carly could feel her friend's bandage scrape through the shirt and against her arms once more. Upon this feeling, her eyes widened.

_'Hey! I think I still have some stuff left over from when I cleaned out her wound.'_ Carly thought hopefully, looking over to her left side to where her nightstand was placed. Moving carefully and slowly, she reached over to it with her left hand and patted around the table in the dark. With a smile, Carly triumphantly found one of the extra hand towels she brought out from the bathroom. It ended up never getting used, as the blond pretty much passed out before Carly could hand it to her.

With a few more pats, Carly also found one of the various water bottles that was put there for Sam to drink. With a few careful maneuvers, Carly managed to drag the supplies over and hold them in front of the sleeping girl. Moving slowly, she managed to open the bottle and very carefully moisten the towel. Once that was done, she gently closed the bottle and placed it back on the nightstand.

Sam just continued to snore against her, completely oblivious to everything going on, as usual. Once everything was set, Carly took the moistened hand towel and folded it over a few times before bringing it up and softly pressing it against her friend's forehead.

"Mrm.." Sam gave off a quick murmur and jerked a bit as she placed her hands against her best friend's knees, gripping them as if they were arm rests considering they were by her sides.

Carly winced a bit at the action as she felt her friend's nails dig into her legs. Apparently Sam had more strength when she was bothered by something. Still, Carly waved off the slight pain and tried to calm her friend down. "Shh...this is for the fever." She explained to the perturbed girl. "I know it's cold, but you need it.." Carly stated softly. Eventually, after a few tense moments, her best friend started to relax.

The blond eased her grip on Carly's knees and soon became limp in her arms once more. Carly just let off a heavy sigh of relief as Sam started to snore again. The brunette felt a bit better knowing that her friend had at least _something_ to try and cool the fever down. And now that Sam was relaxed once more, Carly finally started giving in to her own exhaustion. Eventually, the girl finally started drifting off to sleep. The last thing she could remember was listening to her best friend's calm snores, which was a noise she had become quite accustomed to over the past few nights.

* * *

More time passed as daylight started to break. It was now Thursday as Spencer made his way upstairs to go check and see if Carly was awake. Time was starting to pass and he was curious about his sister's absence. By now she was usually up and at least showered at this point, so it was weird that he hadn't seen her yet. Still, it was early enough in the morning for her to get to school on time if he found her sleeping, so Spencer wanted to check up on her and make sure there wasn't a repeat performance of what happened when she was running late a few days ago.

Eventually he made his way down the hallway and peeked into Carly's open bedroom door. When he stopped in the doorway, he had to pause for a moment and take in the scene. Instead of seeing both girls in bed on their respective sides, there was just one lump in the middle. Peaking out from under the covers was Sam, along with Carly behind her who was sitting a little higher up. By the way the girls were positioned, it was obvious that Sam was laying against Carly who was holding her from behind, as the brunette's arms were gently wrapped around the girl's stomach.

Spencer quietly crept over to them to get a better look at the unexpected position. He saw that Sam's head was lazily tilted to the side, resting against his sister's left shoulder, while Carly's chin was resting gently on top of Sam's head. Both were asleep, that was obvious enough, but he noticed small awkward movements from them other than the rhythmic breathing. It looked like Carly's arms were trembling, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was actually Sam who was shivering lightly. This small action combined with the hand towel against her forehead showed him that the girl was still not feeling the best.

Spencer finally realized why they were positioned this way, and looked down at Sam sympathetically, wondering how hard the night was for her. He then decided to check her forehead, but as he reached over, the blond girl moved, making him jump up in surprise.

"Unrnn.." Sam just moaned, rolling her head over to the other side and away from him, before sighing in comfort as she relaxed back against Carly's right shoulder, keeping her eyes closed.

After recollecting his heartbeat, Spencer reached down once more and slowly took off the hand towel. He then gently placed the back of his hand against Sam's forehead and frowned. Even though her skin was a bit damp, it was still warm which meant her fever was still there. With a small sigh, Spencer flipped the hand towel over to the cooler side and placed it back down against Sam's forehead.

"Alright, gotta get the thermometer..." Spencer stated softly to himself as he turned around and left the room to go downstairs.

* * *

As Spencer trotted down the steps and across the living room towards his bathroom, a knock on the door broke him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" He walked over to the front door and pulled it open, revealing Freddie, fully dressed for school with his book bag casually slumped over his right shoulder.

"Hey!" The boy greeted Spencer.

"Hey Freddo, what's up?" Spencer smiled as Freddie walked in, closing the door behind him.

"Figured I'd come in a little early and see how Sam's doing, considering she was out of it yesterday."

"Um, you'll have to wait a bit more. She's still pretty much out."

"Sleeping?"

"Like an 80 year old on NyQuil," Spencer laughed. "I was just going to get a thermometer to check her temperature though, so you can come up with me. Both her and Carly are upstairs."

"Sounds good," Freddie smiled, throwing his book bag over to the couch. And with that he waited as Spencer retrieved the thermometer from his bathroom before they both ascended the steps.

* * *

When the two guys walked back into the room, Freddie paused for a moment as he looked at the scene.

"Um...why are they..?" He asked, pointing to the girls.

"Dunno," Spencer shrugged as he walked over to the side of the bed with the thermometer in hand. "Think Sam had a rough night."

"Oh.." Freddie replied with a small frown as he walked over and stopped next to Spencer. He then looked at his friends and also noticed another thing. "Carly's asleep too?" Freddie smiled, humored a bit by the comatose state both of his friends were in.

"Yeah," Spencer chuckled as he reached over and gently placed his hand under Sam's jaw. "Haven't woken her up yet," He explained as he slowly pulled the blond's mouth open. Sam made no form of retaliation to this other than letting off a gurgle as her tongue hung out of her mouth lazily. "Let's just get this in.." Spencer spoke to himself as he carefully wriggled the device under Sam's tongue.

"Mrf," Sam furrowed her eyebrows in her sleep, obviously taking notice of the intrusion.

Freddie just watched curiously as Spencer attempted to check her temperature "Make sure she doesn't choke on that," He added cautiously. Spencer rolled his eyes playfully as he turned around to face the boy as he kept a hold on the thermometer.

"I'm not going to let her choke, geeze Freddie," Spencer smiled at him until his eyes widened when he felt the thermometer slip out of his hands, seemingly going down his patient's throat. "HEY!" Spencer yelped in fear as he jerked his neck around to look back at Sam, only to find her _chewing_ on the thermometer in her sleep. "No, don't eat that!" Spencer exclaimed, placing one of his hands on top of her head, and placing the other under her chin, locking her head in place and keeping the girl from moving her jaw. "Freddie, can you hold her for a second?"

"Uh sure!" He replied, walking over to the bed and sitting next to the two girls. He then switched places with Spencer, and kept the girl's head in place as Spencer continued to try and work the thermometer from out of Sam's teeth and under her tongue.

"Figures she would try and eat it," Freddie chuckled as Spencer laughed.

"Well I guess it's good she has an appetite, even if it _is_ for glass!" Spencer smiled as he finally managed to get the thermometer back under her tongue. Sam just let off a moan and tried to pull her head away from the guys.

"Urf..no, stop it!" Freddie mumbled, trying to stop his friend from pulling out of his grasp. If he let go, Sam would just try and eat the thermometer again, so he had to stay put. Finally after two weak attempts of trying to get Freddie's hands off her, Sam finally gave in and just stayed put in her sleep.

"Feisty," Spencer laughed.

"I'm just glad she's been giving up a lot faster these days," Freddie smiled. After a moment of chuckling, the guys paused as there was an awkward silence. "Um...so?" Freddie realized he still had his hands clamping Sam's mouth shut.

"Now we just...uh wait?" Spencer smiled sheepishly, realizing they had to stay this way for a minute or so.

"Kind of funny how all of this is just to take a simple temperature," Freddie chuckled as he kept his hands in place, referring to the awkward position he was in. If Sam woke up, boy would he be in for it.

"Yeah...but with Sam, it's necessary," Spencer laughed as Freddie smiled. He then looked down at the blond who had the thermometer lazily sticking out of her clamped down mouth. "I really _should_ invest in one of those ear temperature taking thingies." Spencer concluded.

"Just ask my mom. She has like a thousand of them," Freddie shook his head at his mother's over-protectiveness.

"Really?" Spencer asked curiously as Freddie nodded.

"Well, she has like five, but you get what I mean."

"Yeah.." Spencer then looked back over at Sam, whose head was still in Freddie's vice grip. "Probably should have borrowed one before attempting _this_ huh?"

"I'd say so," Freddie laughed.

Finally, after a little bit, it was time to take the thermometer out. Spencer carefully pulled it out of Sam's mouth as Freddie let go of the girl's head. Sam just let off a grunt of displeasure as she tilted her head away from the guys.

"Well it wasn't a walk in the park for me either," Freddie laughed in response.

Meanwhile, Spencer squinted his eyes as he read out the number. Freddie looked over at him as his expression softened.

"So, what is it?" The boy asked cautiously.

"100.3." Spencer finally replied as he watched the boy frown. "But that's alright. Yesterday morning she was at 100.7. I think the antibiotics are working."

"Oh, that's good then," Freddie smiled.

"Mhm," Spencer nodded. The two then looked over at the girls when Sam let off a tired moan and shivered. "But she's still going to feel a bit yucky from the infection until her fever goes down."

"Yeah," Freddie nodded in agreement as he watched Sam let off another shiver and grip Carly's arms tighter around her stomach. "So...." Freddie started to say as Spencer looked at him. "...what about Carly?" He asked, noticing something.

"What about her?" Spencer asked, delightfully ignorant to a certain predicament.

"Well, are you going to wake her up? She's kind of Sam's mattress right now." Freddie stated, pointing over to the two sleeping girls. Spencer stared at him for a moment, before looking back at the bed.

"Oh...right..," He stated slowly, not realizing that problem until now.

* * *

**Alright, so this was one of those chapters that pushes the story along but doesn't really bring anything new to the table, I admit it lol. I _was_ a bit stunted on funny ideas/witty dialogue for this scene, so I confess that I was a bit lazy with this one. Still, I have some funny ideas in the future, so I have to get through these filler chapters to get up to them. **

**I figure you guys don't mind them too much, since it's still something to read, right? I mean, I added Cam, Seddie, and heck, even Fencer in (if you squint hard ;D) to this chapter, so I hope some of you guys found one part you liked, despite it being uneventful. =)**


	102. Breakfast

**Ok, before I start this chapter I just want to tell you guys something. I NEED TO BEAT MYSELF OVER THE HEAD WITH A BLUNT OBJECT. I had this chapter spell checked, proofread, and READY for posting when I accidentally DELETED the final copy. I was so angry with myself, that I had to redo all the corrections and such. When I had the finished copy, I was at almost 4 thousand words. Now I'm not. I just KNOW I forgot to write something in here, and I just hate myself for deleting it! ARG! So yeah, sorry guys if this chapter sounds lazy. I messed up during it and I think I cut out a part I can't seem to remember to put back in. :(**

* * *

"Well, are you going to wake her up? She's kind of Sam's mattress right now." Freddie stated, pointing over to the two sleeping girls. Spencer stared at him for a moment, before looking back at the bed.

"Oh...right..," He stated slowly, not realizing that problem until now. The man furrowed his eyebrows in thought for a moment before he walked over to the edge of the bed and put his hand against his sister's left shoulder.

"So, you're going to wake her up?" Freddie asked.

"Yeah.." Spencer replied. "I'll let her decide on what she wants to do."

"Ok sounds good," Freddie nodded. And with that he watched as Spencer started lightly shaking his sister.

Carly's body just moved lifelessly against the pillows as the brunette kept her eyes closed. Because Sam was laying against her, she was also being moved slightly. Still, neither girl woke up. At this point, Spencer started shaking his sister a bit harder, trying his best not to wake up Sam. But as he did this, both of the girls finally came to life, in their own unique ways.

"Nrf..," Sam just moaned, tilting her head away from Spencer.

"Stop..," Carly moaned in her sleep as well, furrowing her eyebrows in irritation as she managed to unlatch one of her arms from around Sam and backhand Spencer in the arm.

"Ow!" Spencer yelped as he jumped back and held onto his bicep. He then stared wildly at Carly who continued to stay asleep, as well as Sam.

"Um, I think she just made her choice," Freddie chuckled nervously as Spencer rubbed his sore arm.

"I'd say so!" He pouted pitifully in response. "Looks like my little sis is learning a few tricks from her friend.."

"Huh?" Freddie asked as Spencer smiled sheepishly.

"Um, Sam sort of slapped me in the face a few nights ago when I tried to wake her up for her meds. I ended up paying her twenty bucks to take it in her sleep."

"How am I not surprised?" Freddie offered with a smile. He then continued to watch as Spencer kept inspecting his sore arm. "You going to be ok there?"

"Dunno, feels like it may bruise.."

"Dude, you _so _need to work out," Freddie just laughed as he shook his head while Spencer shot him a glare.

"Says the guy who gets beat up by a girl on a daily basis," Spencer stuck his tongue out at him.

"Sam's not a girl!" Freddie exclaimed in retaliation before pausing and thinking for a second. "Ok...she _is_ a girl.." He admitted respectfully. "...but one with freakish strength! That doesn't count!"

"Well.." Spencer stuttered, thinking of a comeback. "...what's good for the goose is good for the gander!" He cried out in response, running towards the door as he held his sore arm.

"What does that even mean?" Freddie asked awkwardly, chasing him out.

"I don't know!"

* * *

Eventually the two guys made their way downstairs and were now in the kitchen.

"So, you're letting Carly stay home from school?" Freddie asked as he sat down on one of the stool chairs in the kitchen and watched Spencer finish cooking breakfast.

"Yeah, I'll just let them sleep in," Spencer replied as he finished up a batch of pancakes at the stove.

"Why are you making pancakes?" Freddie asked curiously from his seat.

"Well, I made the batter before I went to check in on the girls, so I figured...why let it all go to waste?" Spencer explained as he turned around with a HUMONGOUS plate of pancakes.

"Wow! That's A LOT! Why so many?!" Freddie murmured. The plate was drastically overfilled and could feed like ten separate people.

"Well, I took precautions in case Sam was awake to eat with us. Turns out I was wrong," Spencer laughed. "Hungry?"

"Sure!" Freddie smiled, hungrily looking at the steaming stack of maple syrup and butter covered treats that Spencer set down in front of him. The boy couldn't help but wait in anticipation as Spencer brought out a few more plates for them to eat from. Spencer was an amazing cook, and whenever he made pancakes, Freddie usually only got to eat two, considering Sam ate like twenty. She always seemed to be there in the morning too, even if she didn't sleep over. How the blond often made the trip from her house to Carly's even faster than he did from his own apartment across the hallway, he'll never know.

Finally Spencer finished setting up the plates, as well as a few glasses of orange juice for them to drink, and pulled the towering plate of pancakes back in front of himself to serve them. Freddie couldn't help but smile as he watched Spencer get ready with a spatula. The boy figured that maybe if he was lucky, he would manage to snag four this time, instead of his usual two.

"How many you want Freddo?" Spencer asked.

"Mmm, how about fou...." But before he could finish, his eyes widened as Spencer slid like half the pile onto his plate.

"Ten it is!" He smiled.

"Um Spence.." Freddie continued to stare wildly at the stack. "I don't think I can eat..."

"Oh be a man," Spencer laughed, putting ten on his plate as well.

"But.."

"Aw, is Fweddie afwaid to hurt his wittle tum tum?" Spencer clasped his hands together and gave Freddie a pout. The boy just glared at him for a second, before slowly picking up a napkin and tucking it into the collar of his shirt.

"If that's how you want it.." Freddie stated slowly with squinted eyes as he picked up a knife and fork. "It's pancake eatin time." The boy cocked an eyebrow as he smirked, obviously challenging the man. Spencer did the same as they just stared across the counter at each other for a second while holding up their utensils.

"ATTACK!" Spencer finally yelled out, and the two guys instantly started ravaging their pancake towers.

* * *

"Urp...oh...why did I do that..." Freddie moaned, placing his fork on his empty plate with a clank.

"Because it was -hiccup- fun..." Spencer replied with a lazy smile, patting his own stomach.

"It's fun to eat yourself sick?" Freddie asked with a tired moan.

"Yeah....why else would Sam so it daily..?" Spencer offered with a smile. The two guys then laughed at the joke before a knock on the door broke them out of their thoughts. "Ugh.." Spencer moaned. "Wanna go get that?" He asked his guest, thumbing over towards the door.

"I don't want to move," Freddie admitted pitifully.

"Me neither.." Spencer sighed. Once again there was a knock. "Come in!" He finally called out, feeling too stuffed to walk.

"The door is locked!" Mrs. Benson's voice called from the other side.

Spencer thought for a moment before looking back up. "Break in!" He called out, just as sweetly.

"Spencer! You open this door up right now! Fredward has to get to school!"

"Ugghhh.." Both guys moaned as they dragged their sluggish pancake filled bodies out of the kitchen and over to the door. Spencer finally opened it to reveal Freddie's mother.

"Fredward!" Mrs. Benson exclaimed as she hastily pushed her way past Spencer.

"Oof," The man cried out, holding onto his stomach.

"Get your book bag, and tell Carly we have to leave now if you want to make homeroom!" Mrs. Benson instructed her son.

"Carly's not...urf....coming.." Freddie stated weakly as he slowly pulled his book bag on.

"Well then, let's get a move on honey," Mrs. Benson replied as she grabbed Freddie by the arm and started to drag him towards the door. "Good bye Spencer," She stated as she walked past him, son in tow. Spencer just watched as Freddie weakly stumbled out along behind his mother.

"Bye, have fun now," He replied with a smile as Freddie looked back at him with a face that resembled a cry for help. The door slammed shut after the Bensons left.

Now the apartment was empty once more as Spencer stood there alone in the middle and realized he was missing Freddie's company already. "Boy, I seriously need some friends.." The man chuckled to himself awkwardly before settling himself down on the couch to rest from his pancake high.

* * *

Time passed and it was now nine in the morning. Spencer got past his breakfast induced stomachache, and decided to check in on the girls. Once he got upstairs, he unsurprisingly found them in the same position, snoozing away. Spencer quietly crept across the room and removed the hand towel from Sam's forehead.

_'I'll just go ring this out and re-wet it..'_ He thought to himself as he walked over towards Carly's bathroom.

After finishing up in there, he returned and placed the newly wet cloth back onto Sam's forehead to help keep her fever down. The blond just let off a slight sigh as she tilted her head a bit. Because of the small movement from Sam in his sister's arms, Spencer noticed that Carly was starting to wake up.

"Oh yeah sure, you don't wake up when you're beating me to a pulp, but when Sam shifts an inch, it's as good as an alarm clock!" Spencer whispered to his sister dramatically.

Finally Carly cracked her eyes open. After a few moments of fuzzy eyesight, she looked around the room and noticed her brother was standing next to the bed.

"Spencer?" She asked out weakly as she started to get the feeling back in her body, realizing she felt uncomfortably hot and weighed down.

"Hey, g'mornin..." Spencer smiled at his sister. He saw that she was still coming out of her sleep, and waited patiently for her to fully wake up.

Carly just sighed and took a deep breath, wondering why she felt heavy and cramped in her arms. She then finally noticed that something, or rather someone, was laying against her. Slowly, her memories about the night came back and she remembered that it was Sam. After looking down at the girl in her arms, Carly looked back up at her brother, realizing it was morning considering her room wasn't dark. "What time is it?" She managed out weakly.

"Nine in the morning," He answered. After hearing this news, Carly's eyes snapped fully open.

"WHAT?!" She cried out, knowing that she had to go to school.

Spencer jumped back as he watched his sister turn on her 'freakout mode' switch. But before she could grow anymore hysterical, he quickly tried to calm her down. "Look! I let you sleep in and stay home from school! Everything's ok!"

"But...how...I..." Carly started to stammer. She was still a bit woozy from just waking up, and the shock of the time was still in her system.

"Calm down! You'll wake up Sam!" Spencer hastily stated. Upon hearing this, Carly instantly stopped her mental freak out, and softly looked down at her friend in her arms.

"O...ok.." Carly replied softly, before looking back up at her brother for an explanation. "Wait, so what's going on again exactly?"

"I found you guys sleeping like this. At first I was going to wake you up for school, but you and Sam looked so....comfortable, that I decided to just let you guys sleep in. That alright?" Spencer asked worriedly.

"Oh...uh yeah, that's fine," Carly replied with a smile, finally understanding.

"So..." Spencer replied casually, looking down at his sister as a smirk crossed his lips. Carly just cocked an eyebrow as she watched him curiously. "I thought I was only going to have to worry about leaving Sam alone with Freddie....not you," He chuckled, obviously referring to her embrace of the sick girl.

Carly was confused for a second as she didn't understand what he meant, until she got his badly timed joke, seconds later. "Grow up," She replied, rolling her eyes playfully. "But wait..." The brunette girl paused for a moment, looking at her brother awkwardly. "What do you mean leave Sam and Freddie alone?" She asked curiously. "What in the world would they do? Other than Sam possibly sending him to the hospital of course."

"Well...they did kiss."

"Don't remind me!" Carly gave a moan.

"Sorry, sorry." Spencer apologized bashfully, knowing that his sister was still a bit miffed about being kept in the dark about that. "So why are you guys like this?" Spencer asked changing the topic as well as his tone of voice. He knew that something had to be up with Sam for this to happen.

"Yeah, it's pretty weird, I know, but during the night Sam was having a really hard time getting to sleep. She was getting the chills."

"Still?"

"Mhm," Carly nodded as Spencer frowned. "Also, she was starting to thrash around, telling me about how it was starting to get uncomfortable to sleep on her back. I tried setting up some pillows for her to sleep on, but she was still freezing, so I decided to give her some of my body heat. Not enough to overheat her fever, but enough to calm her down. I think it worked too, considering she fell to sleep soon after."

"Oh I see," Spencer smiled, glad Carly was there to take care of things. If she wasn't, he just knew that Sam would have tried to deal with the situation alone, possibly making things worse.

"Plus, I figured with me holding her in place while she slept, she wouldn't hurt her stomach anymore," Carly added.

"Huh?" Spencer asked awkwardly.

"Well lately she's been turning over in her sleep. I found her laying on her stomach once in the middle of the night, and Freddie told me he did earlier that same day. When she's lying like that, she starts whimpering like it hurts. I don't like how she's starting to get antsy in her sleep," Carly added, worried for her friend's health.

"Yeah, she really can't be moving like that. Not until the doctor says it's ok, especially with the infection."

"I know," Carly nodded in agreement. "That's another reason why I made her sleep like this. But I didn't emphasize the fact that I was holding her in place for the night. I could just imagine what Sam would have to say about_ that_," Carly laughed.

"Huh?" Spencer cocked an eyebrow.

"Think about it," Carly replied with a smile. "If you tell her _'you can't_', she'll say..."

"_I can_." Spencer finished with a laugh, fully understanding what his sister meant. If Sam knew that they were monitoring her sleep positions, and was told over and over that she couldn't sleep a certain way, she would most likely fight against them and do it purposely just to assume more authority over the situation, despite the action harming herself. She was very stubborn like that. Heck, the girl almost killed herself over a stomachache.

"We're just lucky she's listened to us so far," Carly added honestly with a laugh. "That's why I didn't want to push the obedience on her."

"Understandable," Spencer smiled.

Sam then let off another quiet moan in her sleep, tilting her head to the side.

"How she doing now?" Spencer asked his sister.

"I can feel that she's still shivering a bit, but not as badly as before," Carly nodded.

"Yeah..that's probably because she still has the fever," Spencer sighed. "I took her temperature earlier and it was at 100.3."

"Well at least it's going down," Carly smiled before she thought of something. "Wait, how did you take Sam's temperature?" She asked awkwardly, realizing they had been asleep at the time.

"Very carefully," Spencer nodded. "Especially when she started eating the thermometer."

Carly couldn't help but laugh.

"So, you hungry kid?" Spencer asked with a smile.

"Actually, yeah!" Carly replied, noticing she had been smelling something good from the kitchen the whole time she had been awake.

"So...what do you want? Rice Krispies, or Froot Loops?" Spencer laughed nervously as he knew what was coming next.

"Huh? But I smell something cooking....like pancakes."

"Yeah...about that," Spencer chuckled sheepishly. "You see, Freddie kind of came over and we...."

"Froot Loops," Carly sighed sadly as she cut her brother off.

* * *

**I still have a touch of writer's block, so unfortunately this was another connecting chapter. I figured I'd show off some more of the Fencer friendship though! (I always liked the idea of Spencer being Freddie's male role model since he doesn't have a father). And of course, everyone is still concerned for Sam, as usual. ;)  
**


	103. Breakfast: Part Two

"So...what do you want? Rice Krispies, or Froot Loops?" Spencer laughed nervously as he knew what was coming next.

"Huh? But I smell pancakes."

"Yeah...about that," Spencer chuckled sheepishly. "You see, Freddie kind of came over and we...."

"Froot Loops," Carly sighed sadly as she cut her brother off.

"Sorry," Spencer replied bashfully as he left the room. Carly just chuckled and rolled her eyes as she watched her brother leave.

It now quiet in the room now, save for Sam's small snores.

"Well how do you like that?" Carly laughed as she looked down at her friend. "Spencer makes pancakes, and we get left out," The brunette couldn't help but smile as her friend let out a dissatisfied grunt, as if she were actually listening. "Yeah, that's what I thought too," Carly laughed. Sam just continued to snore until the blond girl must have choked on her own drool or something because one of her snores hitched in her throat as she started to cough.

"Huh? Sam?" Carly asked in surprise, fearing that she may have woken the girl up by talking to her. She watched curiously as her friend accidentally choked herself awake.

"Unn....." Sam sighed, letting out another weak cough to clear her airway as her eyes slowly opened. Even though her mind was still not fully awake, her body was getting some feeling back and the girl had some conflicted feelings about it. Her body was weak, cold, and heavy feeling, yet she was laying against something soft, warm, and pretty soothing. Because Sam was still waking up, she didn't have the ability to determine what any of this meant. Everything was just so confusing to her, considering she felt gross and sick but was so comfortable, so with a sigh of irritation, the girl let off a subconscious moan.

"Are you ok?" Carly asked upon hearing it. Sam seemed to be having a pretty hard time adjusting to being awake, that much she can tell, but the blond girl finally managed to tilt her head up and look at her. "Hey," Carly stated softly as she looked down at her friend, noticing that her eyes were very foggy and unfocused. The brunette became worried for a second when Sam slowly looked up at her and just stared as if she couldn't identify who was speaking to her. Finally after a moment, the girl smiled.

"Hii...Carls..." Sam lazily slurred in response with a dreamy and complacent look on her face. It was obvious that she recognized her best friend, and was glad to see her, but Carly couldn't help but notice that Sam wasn't really..._with it_ yet. She could see the blond's mind was incredibly fuzzy, and that her friend wasn't thinking straight. Still, as hazy as her best friend was, Sam managed to get out one question of curiosity. "What time..is..it?" She asked, her words slurring in the dreamlike state.

"Um, bout nine in the morning," Carly replied gently.

"Oh...okay...," Sam replied casually, yawning.

Carly couldn't help but laugh at the fact that Sam didn't find it awkward for it to be nine in the morning on a school day with her best friend still home. Then again, it wasn't surprising considering the amount of times Sam skipped school herself. There were at least three incidents Carly could recall where Sam didn't show up for class, only to be found dead asleep at home when she visited to see if everything was alright.

With a small smile, Carly looked back down at the girl in her arms and realized she was lazily staring into space. She could see that the Sam's eyelids were still halfway closed as her eyes continued to stay glazed over, making it look as though she was back on the Vicodin. But Carly knew better and saw that the girl was just simply half asleep, especially with the calm way she was acting. It took a lot for Sam to fully wake up normally, but with the fever, it was almost impossible. "So, how are you feeling?" Carly asked, wondering when her friend would snap out of the fog.

Sam just looked up at her slowly again for a moment before looking down, trying to comprehend what her best friend just asked her. While she could feel her tired and sore muscles, along with a pounding headache, Sam was too foggy to really form a proper thought. "Kinda uh sick....." Sam sighed, closing her eyes as she felt tired. Carly cocked an eyebrow as she felt her friend push her back into her, seemingly trying to recline more. "...but soft...nrh....cold....but...warm....um.." The blond tried her best to finish her fragmented sentence, but the fever was still making her body weak, and soon enough she began slipping out of consciousness once more. Carly watched curiously as Sam's head tilted down with each word until she was just mumbling with her eyes closed. Finally she stopped talking altogether and became lifeless yet again.

"Thanks," Carly chuckled to the now sleeping girl in her arms. "That answer wasn't vague at all!"

At this, Sam just sighed as she turned her head to the side and rested her cheek back against her best friend's right shoulder. Carly stayed patiently in place and decided not to bother Sam if she was going to fall back out, despite how badly the brunette's arms ached at this point.

* * *

After a little while, Spencer finally came back upstairs, bowl of Froot Loops in hand. "I've got the cereal," He stated as he walked in the doorway and over to the bed. But once the man noticed that his little sister was basically pinned down by her friend yet again, he saw that their may be some....complications to eating a bowl of cereal. "Oh...um...." Spencer replied awkwardly.

"Here, I've got it," Carly nodded as she reached up for the bowl. Spencer handed it to her and watched as she carefully held it in front of Sam. The brunette then slowly lifted up a spoonful, pulled it around her best friend, and placed it into her mouth. "See?" She muffled out, chewing a bit before swallowing. "I can manage."

"Alright," Spencer laughed as he watched Carly slowly work on the second spoonful. "You know, it's going to take a while to eat like that," He smiled. His sister looked as though she was in one of those egg-on-the-spoon races with the way she had to maneuver around her sick friend.

"Yeah I know, but it's better than spilling it," Carly chuckled as she bit down on the second spoonful.

"Ok, well I'm just going to go head on downstairs. Will you guys be ok?" Spencer asked.

"Mhm," Carly nodded. "Just, could you turn on the TV before you leave?"

"Sure," Spencer smiled as he walked over to her nightstand and flipped on the television to an interesting show. "There ya go," He replied as he set the remote back down.

"Thanks," Carly nodded appreciatively.

"I'll be back up for the bowl later," Spencer explained as he made his way over to the door.

"Try coming back in like an hour," Carly laughed, having spent a few minutes eating only two spoonfuls. "I _think_ I'll be done by then,"

"Ok," Spencer chuckled. And with that he left.

* * *

Some more time passed as Carly continued to eat her bowl of cereal while keeping her eyes glued to the screen. She was still carefully balancing the bowl in one hand while slowly pulling spoonfuls out with her other, all the while having Sam sit in front of her and lay against her. Someway though, the brunette girl managed to make this system work. It was slow, but effective. As expected, Sam continued to stay asleep in her arms and snored quietly as the brunette maneuvered around the girl to eat.

Soon enough, the minutes passed to where Carly was just about at the end of her bowl. It took a while, but she was able to do it with no messes, luckily for Sam. Carly had roughly two or three spoonfuls left, so she carefully scooped out another one and started to bring it towards her mouth. But what surprised her was that before she could slowly drag the spoon over to her lips, Sam's right hand came to life, grabbed Carly's by the wrist, and shoved the spoon into her own mouth.

"Hey!" Carly exclaimed, hearing Sam slurp the cereal off as the blond girl firmly kept her grasp around her wrist. And just as quickly as Sam grabbed her friend's hand, it dropped off and fell to her side lifelessly. Carly leaned forward to glance at her best friend's face and saw that her eyes were closed. "Sam, are you awake?" The girl gave no response. Carly just cocked an eyebrow at this. "So...you stole my cereal in your sleep?" She asked awkwardly, placing her spoon back into her bowl and scooping out another spoonful. Sam didn't respond so Carly just shrugged and went to finish up the bowl. Sure enough, before she could raise the food to her mouth, Sam grabbed Carly's hand once more and pulled the spoon into her own mouth, making it the second and last spoonful to be hijacked. Carly just shook her head incredulously, having realized what happened as she heard Sam munch and swallow the last bit of cereal.

"Sam, what the heck?" Carly couldn't help but laugh at this. Either her friend was awake and doing this on purpose, or the girl was actually stealing the food in her sleep. With Sam, either was very possible. "Do you want your own bowl of cereal?" She asked her friend. Once again, no response. Carly was sure Sam would reply since she just offered her food and was surprised to hear nothing but silence. The brunette just shook her head and smiled. "You're such a nut," Carly chuckled as she looked at the back of her best friend's head. "Still, you grabbed those spoonfuls with too much accuracy for someone to be asleep. I don't think you're really sleeping," Carly explained softly as she placed her spoon in the now empty bowl. After letting go of the utensil, Carly reached up to her face to wipe off her mouth with the back of her hand. But unfortunately she never made it there as Sam grabbed her friend's hand one last time and brought it back to her mouth. Before Carly could react, the blond girl mistook her best friend's finger for the spoon and soon enough...

"OW!" Carly yelped out as Sam bit down on her pointer. "Owooooo..." The brunette girl pulled her finger from Sam's mouth and waved the ailing appendage in the air to get rid of the mild pain. Once the small throb from being bitten softened up, Carly looked down at her best friend in disbelief. "Ok, maybe you _are_ sleeping then.." She finally concluded. Sam just stayed quiet, confirming her thoughts. With a small sigh, Carly glanced back down at her finger and was surprised to actually see faint teeth marks.

"Geeze, I hope you had your rabies shot," Carly laughed as Sam let out a snore. "Least you didn't break the skin.."

* * *

Finally, enough time passed where Spencer made good on his word and returned for the bowl.

"Hey, you finish up?" He asked with a smile as he walked in through the doorway.

"Yup," Carly replied, nodding over to her nightstand to where she placed the empty bowl.

"Lemme just get that out of your way," Spencer smiled as he walked over and picked it up. Once it was in his hands, he glanced over towards his patient. "So, Sam show any signs of waking up?"

"Actually she did wake up an hour ago," Carly nodded.

"Oh! You should have told me!" Spencer replied as his sister looked at him curiously. "Her mother called a while ago."

"She did?" Carly asked.

"Yeah," Spencer nodded. "But I thought Sam was still sleeping, so I just gave her an update on how things were going. I would have brought up the phone if I knew she was up."

"Well, she literally woke up for like ten seconds. I was kind of relieved too, because I thought I was going to be able to stretch out my arms but then....Sam being Sam, just went right back to sleep without moving." Carly laughed.

"Oh," Spencer chuckled. "Well I guess she was comfortable then."

"I'd have to say so," Carly smiled. "Although, when I pulled Sam into this position during the night, I didn't think I'd be in for the long haul," She laughed, referring to the fact that she had been supporting her friend up for hours now as the day neared eleven in the morning.

"Well, do you want me to slide her off of you?" Spencer asked.

"Um.." Carly thought for a moment as she looked down at Sam and gently placed her hand against the sleeping blond girl's forehead. The hand towel was moist, but warm. Just as Spencer stated, she still had a fever, and Carly wasn't sure if it would be wise to move her. Even though the brunette girl's arms were incredibly sore and tired from holding Sam up, she knew how much harder it must have been for her friend. It seemed as though the only time Sam had gotten any rest throughout the night was when she was laying against her. With that thought, Carly decided on what to do. "I don't think we should move her. She was having a hard time getting to sleep last night with the fever, so I don't want to disturb her if she's comfortable now."

"Alright, that makes sense," Spencer smiled, proud of his sister's decision to withstand an uncomfortable position for her friend. "But I did want to give her the antibiotics for the infection, and well...the next dose of Percocet _is_ coming up.." He sighed, pulling out a few tiny pills from his pocket. "We just might have to wake her up after all," Spencer stated regrettably as he looked over at his sister.

Carly let out a heavy sigh of regret as well as she looked down at her best friend. Waking up a sick person seemed so wrong to do, especially with Sam because she had tried so hard to help the girl get some sleep. After feeling a bunch of guilt build up, Carly was about to give her brother the ok to wake her friend up, until her eyes widened with an idea.

"Hmm.. wait.. I think I have a solution!" Carly smiled. "Give me the cereal bowl back."

"Huh but..?"

"Just give me it. The pills too!" Carly replied as Spencer curiously handed her the supplies. He watched as his sister once again balanced the bowl in front of Sam. Only this time, she placed the pills on the spoon, along with a bit of milk.

"I still don't see what..."

"Shh!" Carly shushed her brother, wishing he would give her a second. Once the man stayed silent, she then pulled the spoon up out of the bowl and pretended to bring it up to her mouth. Sam just stayed dead asleep.

"Um Carly, those aren't for you..." Spencer was still quite confused at his sister's actions.

"I know that!" She murmured, placing the spoon back into her bowl and clanking it against the edge a few times to get Sam's subconscious attention. She then attempted once more to bring it up to her mouth. Just as Spencer was about to say something, he instantly shut his mouth with a click as he watched Sam's arm come to life and grab Carly's wrist. She then pulled the spoon away from her best friend and into her own mouth, slurping the pills down.

"What the-? How did she...?" Spencer paused for a moment as he stared at Sam, who by now had let go of Carly's wrist and let her arm fall down to the mattress, all the while staying in her comatose state. "Are you guys playing a joke on me?" He finally asked, giving Carly an accusatory look.

"No, honest! She's really asleep. She jacked my Froot Loops like that when I was eating them. Weird huh?" Carly laughed as she held up her cereal bowl in one hand for her brother to take back.

"Yeah! I just don't understand how someone can eat in their sleep!" Spencer exclaimed, taking the bowl from his sister.

"Really?" Carly asked with a smile. "Because on that last 'Wake Up Spencer' segment, Sam and Freddie managed to feed you..." But her words were cut off as Spencer looked at her with a confused expression.

"Huh? What in the world are you talking about?"

"Oh uh, nevermind," Carly laughed nervously, temporarily forgetting that the segment was a secret from him. 'Wake Up Spencer' was an iCarly segment that she allowed Sam and Freddie to do to her brother in the middle of the night. While Carly wasn't into the idea of waking up at midnight to play pranks on her brother, she gave the ok for her friends to do so. She figured it would be a good bonding experience for them, despite her brother getting tricked. Carly was just glad that Spencer was a good sport about everything, so if he ever found out, he wouldn't get mad. With that last thought, Carly decided to keep it a secret, not wanting to ruin Sam and Freddie's fun. "Forget I said anything," Carly finally stated with an innocent smile.

Spencer just stared at his sister for a moment before squinting his eyes. "Yeah...ok," He replied cautiously as he turned around and left the room.

Once outside, Spencer continued to walk down the hallway. "Wake up Spencer? How does _she_ know about my nightmares of Sam and Freddie waking me up and torturing me in the middle of the night?!" The man thought worriedly.

* * *

**Lol Spencer, you silly goose. xD (Sidenote: 'Wake Up Spencer' is from icarly. com)  
**

**--------  
**

Alright, now I've got another fun interactive thing for you guys! This has a VERY TINY spoiler in it for an upcoming chapter, so if you're thoroughly against any sort of spoilers, don't read anymore! (Though it's not too bad but yeah, figured I'd warn you lol). Anyways, for anyone who wants to participate in this and doesn't mind spoilers, read on!

For iCarly (the web show that will take place in this story), I'm going to have the girls show off videos (sorta like in iCarly awards). Of course, being the lazy author that I am, I don't feel like thinking up ideas for the videos, so I may do one of those time skips for that part of the show. ANYWAYS, after the show, there's going to be a scene where the kids read some comments about the webcast. This is where your part comes in! If you want one of your comments to be in the story, along with a fake username (could be your fanfiction. net one if you'd like!) just write it down in a review! Now one thing you must make sure of, is that it has to either relate to a stupid video idea that you come up with, or a get well message to Sam. I want these comments to sound like they came from fans of the webshow, so here's a few examples of what I am looking for:

**-Wow! It was crazy how far that cat jumped! Loved the show! -Jake768**

**-Hope you feel better Sam! Gr8 show guys! -Skater56**

**-I didn't know little old ladies could drive motorcycles! Nice! -Steph86**

So basically, just type in ANY idea that comes to mind, that could be from a stupid video you made up, or saw. OR you could always wish something well for Sam. I'm just too lazy to come up with a bunch of random comments myself, so I decided to have another fun interactive thingy. :P

Also, I felt the need to show an example I am NOT looking for:

**-Will Sam and Freddie ever make out? -SeddieCrazy4734554**

Please, no shippy comments! They don't fit into the context of what I'm looking for and is going to write about! So just follow the guidelines, and I will definitely put a bunch of the comments I receive into the story!

And FINALLY, last thing! If you want to take part in this activity, please remember that it is a SIDENOTE to the overall thing. I don't really want to get a bunch of reviews with ONLY the comment in it. Please say something else about the story if you're currently reading and want to participate. That's what the review button is for. I'm just adding these little contests for the fun of it, so don't be rude and just use the review button as an entry form, because I really want to hear what people think of my story, especially if they want to join in on the interactive stuff like this!

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**Now that I got the interactive thingy info out of the way, time for my author's commentary! Again, another little connecting chapter, but it's still fun to write out everyone's interactions with each other! The other chapter was about the guys breakfast, 10 pancakes for each of them, while this one was about the girls. Carly gets a cold bowl of Froot Loops that eventually get stolen by her best friend. Looks like Spencer and Freddie got the better half of the meal. xD**

**And as usual, Sam's still got her quirks (like stealing some of Carly's cereal in her sleep, and then biting her finger xP) but at least she gave them an easy way to feed her pills right? Also, I added that little hazy wake up scene between Sam and Carly, because it's something I've gone through myself. Ever have a family member wake you up, and then have a small conversation with them before falling right back asleep? Then when you wake up hours later, you can't remember a thing! I've done that so many times, and I find it so weird that I've actually held up conversations with my mother or my sister while I was asleep. It's so crazy not remembering like that. xD**


	104. Fully Awake

**Alright, just wanna put a little author's note up on here to update you guys on my story :**

**So the thing is... I've already got some future scenes written out on my computer, some of which includes the whole iCarly plot, that I'm really excited for you guys to read. But unfortunately, sometimes I get so excited to write out a scene, that I completely bypass all the stuff that has to come before it. (The connection chapters!) Of course, I could always do the ever so popular, and time saving, SCENE SKIP, where the next chapter would be like 12 hours later, but then what fun would that be? D= If I did scene skips like that, this story would probably only be at chapter 50. (Seriously. :P Plus, I think some of my best lines were in connection chapters...) So again, I know I have a few more connection chapters to write out before I get to the bigger, more plot related stuff. Please just bear with me as I get my thoughts together! I really want to get to the iCarly part, but I also don't want to do a big scene change chapter. I love writing all the little stuff in between. So as usual, I hope you find something in this connection chapter that entertained you! A good portion of the recovery scenes in this story has been Seddie connectors, so I've been focusing on the Cam connectors for now! Don't worry, Spams will get their time too! (I've got some fun Sam/Spencer scenes planned out for the future. ;D)**

**So yup. That's basically what I wanted to tell you. :P Enjoy the connectedness of this connection chapter. (Did you know connectedness was a real word? I just found that out. =3)  
**

* * *

Time passed as Sam began to wake up very quietly, barely moving an inch to catch her best friend's attention. The blond girl's mind slowly drifted awake until she managed to peel open her eye lids. After letting her eyes slowly scan the area, she realized she was in her best friend's room and softly closed them back up.

_'I fell asleep in Carly's room, and I woke up in Carly's room...nothing out of the norm there..' _Sam sighed, gently tilting her head to the side. For the first time in a while, she woke up in a very relaxed and calm manner. There was no puking, no dizzy sensations, and even the horrid chills that she had been experiencing were gone. Still, Sam knew she wasn't out of the woods yet. Her whole body felt as heavy as lead, while her head continued to pound with each heart beat. Her fever was still there, that much she could tell, and the girl knew she wasn't at 100 percent yet. She figured she was probably slowly climbing to 50. Still, as cruddy as she felt, Sam did have to admit her sickness was veiled over by a thin comfort of warmth. The girl let off another content sigh as she tilted her head to the left and rested her arms against her sides. Although she had to pause when she felt something odd underneath her hands. It was as if she had armrests, but knew that couldn't be the case considering she was laying in a bed. Sam slowly started to realize she was sitting up a bit more, as if she were in a chair. Upon this revelation, the girl struggled to become a bit more aware of her surroundings as she knew something was different with the mattress.

During this, Carly had looked down as she realized Sam was moving and sighing in her sleep, possibly on the verge of waking up as the girl was gripping her knees. Unbeknown to the brunette, her friend was already up. Carly tilted her head down and looked at Sam to see that her eyes were closed. "You doing ok there?" Carly asked softly as Sam relaxed her grip on her friend's legs.

Meanwhile, Sam just cocked a mental eyebrow, keeping her eyes closed. While the blond still looked dead asleep on the outside, her mind was buzzing with questions. _'Wait, so Carly's here?' _Sam asked herself, a bit foggy on the situation as she heard her friend's voice come from directly behind her.

"Sam?" Carly asked again, unsure if her friend was waking up or not. She looked down at the girl in her arms curiously for a moment before taking in a deep breath and sighing. She then looked back up at the TV and continued to watch, coming to the conclusion that her friend was still asleep by the lack of response.

During this, Sam felt her 'mattress' move up and down for a second as her friend inhaled and exhaled behind her, triggering her memory of what happened the night before. _'Oh yeah! I fell asleep on Carls...duh...,'_ Sam finally laughed in her head, figuring out why everything was so confusing. She wasn't laying on a mattress, she was laying on a person. Waking up in someone's arms was not a common occurrence for the girl, and it took a bit of time to assess the situation.

Finally aware of what was going on, Sam took her own deep breath and opened her eyes. Just as she was about to open her mouth and reply back to her friend, she unintentionally let out a deep yawn instead. Carly was too engrossed in the TV to notice any of her friend's small movements, especially after concluding the girl was still asleep. When Sam finished up with the yawn, she sluggishly cracked her eyes half open, and looked at the room once more. Unlike before, when it was midnight, a nice ray of sunlight came in from the window, brightening up the room, making it obvious that it was daytime. Sam lazily scanned her eyes across the wall and noticed that the TV was on as well. She squinted as she tried to see what her best friend was watching. The girl couldn't help but cock an eyebrow at the odd show. There was a man on the TV screen, holding up his nostrils to a mirror as he plucked out a few hairs with a trimmer.

_'Weird..' _Sam thought, slowly closing her eyes. While she was still curious at what the heck Carly was watching, she decided on resting instead of watching. _'Have to admit...this is nice..'_ Sam thought, relaxing into the girl behind her. She always used her best friend as a human pillow, but a human mattress was significantly better. The comfort almost made Sam forget that she was even sick. Almost.

A little bit of time passed as the girls sat in silence. Carly was completely unaware that her friend was awake, or semi awake, and continued on gazing at the TV with the duty of watching over her. When Sam felt that she took enough time to relax, she opened her eyes back up and looked at the time on the TV. The numbers read 10:23. Sam quickly assumed it to be AM.

_'Whoa!' _The blond girl murmured in her head, not expecting that. _'I've been sitting like this since midnight so that's...'_ Sam paused as she tried to count, but ultimately gave up. _'....uh, a buttload of hours.' _She finally concluded. _'Carly stayed with me all this time?'_ She asked herself curiously. Almost as if her best friend heard her subconscious question, Carly shuffled a bit in her seat as she kept her arms around the sick girl. Sam slowly looked down when she felt her best friend's movements against her back. Now fully awake, Sam realized just how long it was from midnight to eleven in the morning. At this point, the blond girl was in awe. _'Seriously, am I awake?' _She thought, trying to figure out if she was dreaming or not as she closed her eyes and sighed. While Sam knew that her best friend was looking out for her when she pulled her into the hug last night, she never thought Carly would stick it out for this long. Just as she was about to open her eyes and talk to Carly, Spencer came in through the door, distracting her attention.

"How's everything going?" Spencer asked cheerfully as he made his way across the floor and stopped by the bedside. Sam just stayed quiet and kept her eyes closed, deciding to ease drop for a bit before 'waking up'.

"Everything's going as usual," Carly laughed as she gave off a small shrug. Sam just continued to sit and quietly listen.

"How's Sam?" Spencer asked as he gently placed his hand against the girl's forehead, pressing the damp towel closer to her skin. All this time the blond didn't even realize it was there, and surprisingly managed to avoid shuttering at the touch.

"Well, she stopped shivering a half hour ago," Carly nodded, thankful for that. "But I'm not sure if that means she feels any better though. Her skin's still pretty warm to the touch."

"Yeah," Spencer sighed, brushing a few strands of hair from Sam's forehead as he gently picked up the hand towel and flipped it over. Sam tried her best to avoid letting off a sigh of comfort from the cool sensation as she continued to listen to the man talk. "She still has the fever, so we'll just have to see what she says when she wakes up."

"That may take a while," Carly laughed. "Sam's a pretty heavy sleeper."

"She crush your ribs yet?" Spencer asked in jest as the siblings laughed.

_'WHAT?' _Sam thought as her eyes snapped open. She then looked up at her best friend. "Are you guys calling me fat?!" She asked abruptly, giving up her game of playing dead. Both of the Shays glanced down at the girl, surprised to see her up.

"Uh, no!" Spencer exclaimed in response, trying to cover up his horribly timed joke. Sam just glared over at him for a moment before rolling her eyes and chuckling.

"H-hey..." Carly greeted her friend with a nervous chuckle, not having meant for Sam to wake up hearing a joke at her expense. "How long have you been awake?" She asked as she watched Sam blink a few times and yawn. While her friend still looked sick, the haze from being half asleep was gone from her eyes, making it obvious she was in a more clear frame of mind than when she previously 'woke up'.

"Um..." Sam looked down for a moment and thought for a point of reference. "There was something on TV talking about nose hair trimmers." Carly just cocked her eyebrow as Sam looked back up her and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I dunno," The blond girl shrugged. "But it's what I remember from when I woke up."

"That was a commercial, which aired like a half hour ago," Carly laughed. "So you've been up all this time?"

"Yeah, I guess," Sam chuckled nervously. "Though it didn't feel like thirty minutes," She answered honestly, realizing the time must have gotten away from her when she was relaxing. "So.....," Sam decided to get back on topic. "I still have a fever huh?" She asked, fully knowing the answer. The girl was still feeling awful enough to know her body temperature was off, but was curious on what the two Shays were talking about previously.

Spencer just let out a breath of relief, glad the girl completely bypassed his fat joke. "Yeah, sorry to say kiddo," He looked down at her sympathetically. "But some good news, it's going down. You're at about 100.3 today."

"Whoopee, a whole .4 of a degree," Sam sighed tiredly but then then furrowed her brow as she thought of something and looked back up at him. "Wait a second, how do you know my temperature?" She asked hesitantly.

"Took it in your sleep," Spencer shrugged.

"With a thermometer?"

"Yup," Spencer nodded.

"Mouth?" Sam asked cautiously.

"Yeah..." Spencer looked back at her awkwardly.

"Phew.." Sam let out a sigh of relief.

"Uh is there any other kind?" Spencer cocked an eyebrow, wondering why she was worried.

"Well yeah, there's that long one that goes.."

"Sam!" Carly cut in, quickly realizing what her friend was inferring. "No one was going to use a _baby_ thermometer on you, sheesh," She laughed as she rolled her eyes, knowing that her friend was just joking.

"Hey! At this point, I don't know what the heck goes on when I go to sleep anymore!" Sam shrugged with a chuckle. "Apparently I gain 100 pounds and crush people's ribs!" Sam shot a quick glare over to Spencer who bashfully looked away in shame.

"Nothing goes on," Carly laughed at her overly paranoid friend. "You mumble, eat, and _steal _my food to eat. That's it."

"I'm a pleasure to have around, aren't I?" Sam smiled as she looked up at her best friend.

"Of course," Carly laughed as she held out one of her arms. "I just _love_ waking up covered in slobber," She explained, holding up a sleeve darkened by her friend's sleeping habits.

"Oh boy.." Sam gave an awkward laugh, realizing this had to be at least the fourth time she ruined one of her friend's shirts. "Apology time huh?"

"Nah, don't worry about it," Carly shrugged it off. "Freddie and I have learned to accept you for who you are when you sleep, snores and all."

"Hey! I'll give you the drooling, but I still don't understand where you guys get the idea that I snore," Sam shook her head disapprovingly.

"I dunno, maybe from listening to it all night?" Carly chuckled.

Sam just cocked an eyebrow at her before glancing at Spencer.

"It's true, you do snore," He added with an apologetic smile.

"Meh, I'm still not going to believe you guys," The stubborn girl shrugged casually.

"Ok Sam, whatever you say," Carly playfully rolled her eyes.

"So, you hungry?" Spencer asked as Sam looked up at him.

"Actually, yeah," Sam nodded. "Something smells good," She then paused as she sniffed the air. "Pancakes?" She asked, her eyes lighting up in anticipation.

At this, Spencer's happy demeanor instantly vanished. "Uh..."

"Sorry Sam," Carly gently placed her hand on her friend's shoulder as the girl looked up at her. Sam just watched as her best friend silently shook her head no.

"We've got cereal?" Spencer offered with a nervous chuckle. Sam just looked at him awkwardly.

"Uh...oookay. Cereal then," She gave in, feeling too tired to question the Shays odd behavior.

"Cool," Spencer smiled, glad that he wasn't going to get yelled at for the pancake situation. If Sam was told that Freddie was the reason for no pancakes, he knew he would have heard an earful about it. "So..." Spencer brought himself out of his thoughts. "What would you like?"

"Um.." Sam looked up in thought for a moment as she licked her lips. "For some reason I have this really crazy craving for Froot Loops,"

"Yeah, I'll _just_ bet you do," Carly laughed.

* * *

**I warned you guys in the first author's note that this wasn't a revolutionary chapter in terms of moving the plot along. xP**

** But it was still fun with all the banter right? I tried my best to think up a few funny things. Poor Sam got the brunt of it though. All sick and....fat. =( xD**

**Also, I may be doing another school scene soon, and will be needing a few character names. I will probably only use one or two, but if you guys want to be written into the story, same rules apply from the last contest. Just write your FIRST name only in a review, along with a specifying detail of hair color. **

**And lastly, I'm still looking for iCarly comments, so that contest will remain open until I actually publish the chapter.**

***Don't forget, these contests are secondary to the actual story. Please don't just use the review button as an entry form, or I will disregard it if nothing is said about the story.  
**


	105. Monopolizing Monopoly

**In my last update, I edited my author's note with some more details about contests, but I think I added it too late. xD Any who, here it is again in case some of you guys didn't read it:**

**I may be doing another school scene soon, and will be needing a few character names. I will probably only use one or two, but if you guys want to be written into the story, same rules apply from the last contest. Just write your FIRST name ONLY in a review, along with a specifying detail of hair color. (Re-entries are fine. If I already used you in a previous chapter, you can still try for this one. I just want to make sure permission is given to me to use your characters again, so refresh my memory if you want to re-apply!)  
**

**And lastly, I'm still looking for iCarly comments, so that contest will remain open until I actually publish the chapter. (Multiple entries are fine for this one too, especially since I need a bunch of fan comments. I'll take all the ideas I can get. =D)  
**

***Also, don't forget that these contests are fun little side events I've set up that are secondary to the actual story. Please don't just use the review button as an entry form, or I will disregard it if nothing is said about the story, because in all honesty..that is a bit rude. =/**

**Now onto the story!  
**

**

* * *

**Once Spencer left the room, things were quiet. After a few seconds, Sam finally tilted her head up to look at Carly.

"Don't worry, I'm getting up. Just give me a few seconds," She laughed, realizing she was still lazily sitting in her friend's arms.

"Huh? Oh.." Carly chuckled. "No rush..."

"You're really too kind for your own good..." Sam laughed, knowing her best friend must have been cramped to death by now. "Urf..." The blond mumbled as she bent forward a bit. While her stomach was a lot more stronger than it had been the previous days, it still hurt and was sore from just waking up. Carly watched as her best friend paused, taking a few deep breaths, before collapsing tiredly back into her arms.

"Take it easy.." Carly stated, giving Sam's arms a gentle squeeze as she heard her best friend grumble to herself. "Don't push it."

"I'm so sick of my body feeling like lead," Sam groaned, completely ignoring Carly's warnings to slow things down a bit. The brunette sighed as she felt Sam grasp her knees once more and shakily try to pull herself up.

"Here..hold on," Carly managed to prop Sam's back up with one hand, while gently scooting out from underneath the girl. Once she was out of Sam's way, she sat towards the girl's right side and gently lowered her friend back down.

"Thanks," Sam let out a sigh as she felt her back relax into the pillows her friend was previously sitting against.

"No problem," Carly nodded.

* * *

A little bit of time passed as Spencer brought up Sam's breakfast before going back downstairs. The girl was currently working on her last spoonful as she and Carly continued to watch TV. With one last slurp, Sam let out a breathy sigh.

"Done?" Carly asked when she saw her friend wipe off her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Yup," Sam nodded as she watched Carly reach over and take the bowl from her before placing it down on one of her nightstands. The girl then turned back towards her.

"Do you want anything else?"

"Um," Sam just shrugged. "Not really," She sighed, feeling a lot more tired after eating. Normally she'd love having anyone wait hand and foot on her, but was too sick to really enjoy all the attention. Carly watched curiously as her friend let out a depressed yawn.

"Want to go to sleep?" She offered, noticing that Sam was still pretty out of it health wise.

"I just woke up though," Sam sighed.

"Who cares?" Carly offered bluntly with a laugh. Sam couldn't help but smile at her.

"True, but still...even I'm getting tired of it."

"_Tired_ of _sleeping_?"

"Yeah," Sam laughed. "It makes sense in a weird way...at least to me."

"Nah, I can understand it," Carly nodded. The two girls then let off a sigh as their conversation hit a snag.

Sam just shuffled a bit lower in the covers before crossing her arms behind her head. "So...." She broke the silence. "What are you doing home?"

Not expecting that question, Carly sat up a bit as she looked over at her friend. "Oh, so you finally noticed?" The brunette chuckled.

"Yeah," Sam smiled. "It took a while but I finally put two and two together....especially since you weren't running around the apartment like a mad person. Spencer let you stay home from school?" Sam tilted her head over to look at her best friend.

"Yup," Carly nodded.

"Cool," Sam replied, looking back up at the ceiling. "You're welcome."

"Huh?" Carly raised an eyebrow.

Sam just continued to stare at the ceiling. "You got to stay home because I was sleeping on you, correct?"

Carly just rolled her eyes playfully. "Correct."

"Then.." Sam looked over at her. "You're welcome." She repeated with a smug look.

Carly just laughed. "Thank you."

"That's more like it," Sam laughed as she looked back up at the ceiling and closed her eyes. Carly just shook her head in humor before looking back over at her best friend and realizing the girl hadn't opened her eyes yet. After staring at her for a moment, Carly realized she was probably going back to sleep, despite the previous discussion they held. Deciding not to bother her, Carly looked back over at the TV and picked up the remote to find something to watch.

"So....what do you wanna do?" Sam asked randomly.

Carly looked back down at her friend, seeing that the girl hadn't moved from her comatose position. "Do?" The brunette raised an eyebrow, not sure what her friend meant.

"I'm kind of bored," Sam shrugged, finally opening her eyes and looking up. "But you're here. So let's do something."

"Oh," Carly laughed. "Um well, I just thought you wanted to relax?"

"I do...sort of. But I also want to do something," Sam sighed.

"Like what?" Carly asked, sitting up.

"I dunno. That's why I asked you!"

"Well ok yeah," Carly laughed, realizing that her friend _had_ asked her first. "But I don't know what to think of. Normally I'd say a trip to the Groovy Smoothie would be the perfect thing to fight boredom but.."

"Yeah.." Sam sighed, looking at her blanketed feet. "Not in much of a walking mood. I'd probably pass out from exhaustion once I got downstairs."

Carly then watched as her friend looked down depressingly. She knew Sam was having conflicted feelings about being bored but sick and too weak to do anything, and wished she could help her out. "Well hey," The brunette stated gently as Sam looked back at her. "I'll figure something out. You just sit and relax," Carly smiled as she scrambled off the bed and started making her way to the door.

"Uh ok," Sam replied curiously as she watched her friend leave the room. A little bit of time passed before Carly returned through the doorway, carrying Frothy.

"I figured something out," She smiled.

Sam just cocked an eyebrow. "Something to do with my cat?" She asked awkwardly as Carly placed him down on the bed.

"No," The brunette laughed, watching Frothy hobble over to Sam. The cat finally curled up on one of the pillows, seemingly unfazed by the fact that he was carried around like a purse.

"But then why-?"

"Well, I didn't want him to feel left out," Carly replied, crawling onto the bed and sitting Indian style next to Sam.

"Left out of what?" But before Sam could ask anymore questions, Spencer came bounding in through the doorway, an armload of supplies with him.

"Did someone say they were BORED?" Spencer yelled out the last word dramatically as he walked into the room with a huge smile on his face. Upon closer inspection, Sam realized he was holding a thin rectangular box with a bunch of snacks piled on top. Most of the snacks were healthier, such as applesauce, yogurt, water, and apple juice boxes, obviously chosen because of the condition she was in.

"I still don't follow.." Sam replied awkwardly as she watched Spencer drop the stuff onto the bed with a slight bounce. A few of the snacks rolled off the top, revealing what the box was. "Monopoly?" Sam asked as she watched Spencer set the snacks to the side.

"Mhm, ever play it before?" He asked as he opened the game box.

"Yeah, but like....years and years ago," Sam added, struggling to sit up.

"Here," Carly laughed as she gently helped her friend sit up into a sitting position.

"Urf thanks," Sam mumbled, still looking down at the box as Spencer started setting things up. "So what made you guys dig up Monopoly?"

"Well, you said you were _bored_, so what better than a _board_ game?" Spencer asked with a chuckle. Carly just groaned at her brother's lame joke.

"Can't argue with that logic," Sam smiled, crossing her own legs as she sat Indian style on the bed as well.

Carly couldn't help but notice that her friend seemed..eager to play. "So..." Carly started to say as Sam looked over at her. The brunette realized her friend may have to be instructed on the rules again if it had been years the last time she played. "Do you remember how to..."

"I want to be the banker."

"What?" Carly asked awkwardly as Sam pointed towards the box.

"The banker hands out the money right?" She asked as the two Shays nodded. "I want to be the banker then. They still have that position right?"

"Yup," Spencer smiled as he picked up the money tray and handed it over to Sam.

"Sweet," Sam smiled looking down at all the fake money. Meanwhile Carly and Spencer just exchanged a look. They were quite aware it wasn't a _wise_ decision to let Sam be the banker, but knew that all this was for _her_ comfort, so they decided to let it slide.

"So I take it you remember how to play then?" Carly laughed as Sam started counting out the bills.

"Mhm," Sam replied, not taking her eyes off the money. Carly just chuckled at how serious her friend looked as she fingered through the slips of paper. She could already tell the girl's competitive side was kicking in.

"Annnnnd now that the board is set," Spencer smiled proudly, having gathered up all the chance and community cards, placing them in their respective boxes. "It's time to pick out your playing pieces," He then crawled onto the foot of the bed as well and sat Indian style across from the girls.

"Sam, wanna pick first?" Carly asked as her friend looked up.

"Duh," She laughed, reaching into the box and selecting a metal piece.

"Race car, nice choice," Spencer gave her a thumbs up before looking at his sister. "Your turn."

"The dog," Carly laughed as Spencer handed it to her.

"And as for me, I'll take the..." Spencer was cut off as Carly reached into the box and handed him a piece.

"Here ya go," She smiled as she watched her brother look down at the piece in his hand.

"Aww the thimble?" He whined. "I wanted to be the boat!"

"Nope, you can't. You have to be the thimble," Carly laughed.

"Why?" Sam asked awkwardly.

"It's a tradition that our dad started," Carly explained. "When he let us play this game for the first time, he made us make a promise to choose a piece and always use that one whenever we played. I chose the dog and Spencer chose the..."

"Thimble..." The man groaned.

"But that's the lamest one," Sam added, cocking an eyebrow.

"I was six when I played my first Monopoly game! I chose it because I thought it was the little hat that those accordion monkeys wear! I didn't know it was the thing old ladies put on their thumbs to sew," Spencer huffed as he crossed his arms.

"Oh well, it's what you chose," Carly smiled as she placed her dog next to Sam's race car on the GO spot.

"Yeah," Spencer mumbled in depression as he put his thimble next to the girls. Somehow it just looked incredibly pathetic next to the other playing pieces.

"Oh cheer up, it's not that bad," Carly smiled, looking down at the pieces.

"At least yours can move on their own! Sam has a car, you have a dog, and what do I have? A sewing accessory!"

"Quit your whining and lets play!" Sam cut in, handing the Shay's their bunches of money.

"Fine, fine," Spencer laughed, giving up his depression as the gang started to play.

* * *

Soon enough the game was set into motion. Properties were bought, cards were traded, and deals were made. Spencer and Carly's playing pieces were currently sitting on various parts of the board, while Sam's was unsurprisingly sitting in jail.

"Haha yes! I finally got it!" Spencer called out excitedly, holding up a property card. "The infamous Park Place! Join your rightful place next to the Boardwalk!" The man started cackling evilly as he set his two dark blue property cards down.

"Saaaam," Carly moaned.

"What?" The blond girl asked casually.

"Why did you trade him Park Place? You know he's just going to build houses and hotels on it now!"

"But I got an orange and maroon piece in return," Sam smiled proudly, waving up the property cards.

"Well yeah, but now Spencer's got a full set. The BEST set in the game! Park Place is worth way more than New York Avenue and St. Charles Place," Carly sighed.

"Yes it is," Spencer cooed, starting to pet his property card. Just as he was about to kiss it, he stopped abruptly, realizing Sam and Carly were just staring at him awkwardly. "What?" He asked. The girls just shook their heads in disbelief and went back to their conversation.

"And anyways," Sam waved both of her opponents off. "Don't question my strategy. There's a method to my madness."

"I doubt it..." Carly sighed, figuring her friend was trying to cover up a bad move.

* * *

Time passed as the gang continued to play.

"NOOOOO!" Spencer hollered as he rolled the dice and got a three, making him land on one of Sam's orange pieces for the third time in three minutes. It didn't help that she had managed to collect the other orange pieces and build a hotel on it either.

"Pay up," The blond smiled smugly as Spencer started grumbling to himself while pulling various bills out of his personal bank.

"Hey," Carly cut in, watching her brother depressingly hand Sam over a good chunk of his money. "Just be thankful that you're near the end of Sam's death strip! I still have to go through it!" The brunette murmured, pointing towards her little metal dog playing piece. It was currently sitting in the just visiting area in jail, facing a mine zone of houses and hotels. During the game, Sam had sneakily bought up all the orange and maroon properties, completely monopolizing that side of the board. Every time Spencer and Carly came around that corner, there was practically no chance of them getting through it without hitting one of Sam's obnoxious properties.

"Don't blame me for making smart decisions, Carly Caboose," Sam smirked at her best friend.

"The railroads are a good investment!" Carly huffed in retaliation, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, if you want to chance owning such ancient transportation. Everyone knows that the best way to get around today is by plane."

"Sam, that doesn't even make sense in the context of the game!"

"It doesn't have to, I'm winning!" Sam laughed as she picked up the dice and rolled it. Spencer and Carly watched sullenly as she landed harmlessly on one of her own properties. "Hmm, think I'll build another hotel......right here," The blond picked up a red plastic playing piece and set it on one of her various properties before giving the bank some money.

"Gee thanks," Carly murmured, realizing her turn was next, and Sam just upped the value of a property right in front of her playing piece.

"No problem," Sam smiled before looking down at the board once more. "And...maybe another one here. For insurance," The girl placed yet another hotel down in place of a house.

"Ugh, more?!" Spencer sighed as he watched Sam's strip turn less and less green, becoming dangerously red.

"Well what about you Boardwalk boy?" Sam looked up at him. "As soon as I traded you Park Place, you placed houses and hotels on them!"

"Well yeah! But I spent all my money buying those, and no one even landed on it! Then you created this...monstrosity!" Spencer pointed towards Sam's strip of the board. "You wiped me clean! I had to sell all my hotels and mortgage the area!"

"Oh yeah.." Sam chimed in casually, pretending she forgot about that.

Spencer just sighed as his eyes trailed down to his playing piece. "This is all your fault, stupid _thimble_."

* * *

**Alright, unfortunately this chapter won't make much sense to those who have never played Monopoly. Sorry if you're one of them, but I just wanted to do a chapter on a board game, and I've recently gotten back into Monopoly (after having played it online), and figured it was a fun way for Spencer and Carly to help Sam with her boredom.**

**And lastly, I just wanted to help set up a visual picture for anyone who does understand Monopoly but is having a hard time figuring out the board in context to this chapter. I only marked what was mentioned in this scene, to sort of give you guys an idea of what Sam has against everyone. (I didn't mark any other properties because they weren't important to the chapter) So here's a link to a photobucket picture I specifically marked to give you guys a visual representation of things. =) (Also, ignore Spencer's playing piece. I was originally going to make him the boot, but I like the thimble better because it_ is_ the lamest piece. xD) **

**Spaces have to be taken out for the image link to work:**

**http: //i925 .photobucket. com/albums/ad95/OverkiII/iGoToHospital-1. jpg**

**And a little sidenote: The whole orange and maroon property thing is the strategy I use when playing. It works GREAT! Everyone always goes for Boardwalk and Park Place, but if you manage to snag the orange and maroon, you can ALWAYS get someone to land on it when they pass by. With Boardwalk and Park Place, people managed to skip over it all the time.**


	106. Nurse Shay

**Alright, new chapter time. =) And it's a pretty long one too! I would have had it uploaded earlier, but as usual FF. net was having problems with email alerts (Ugh!). But one good thing that came out of those errors was that I held off from updating and proofread this chapter like a bazillion more times. The word count kept going up as I added random little scenes, so luckily for you guys, it's a bit longer because of the glitches!**

**  
So yup, that's all I really have to say about the chapter. But one more thing before I stop rambling up here, I just wanted to say that I decided to get a twitter for fanfiction updates! I've noticed that tons of other authors have decided to open one to give updates and sneak peeks of their work, so I thought something like that may be fun, especially if there's any of you guys out there who wants to chat or comment about anything I've written.**

**If anyone wants to get updates, my twitter name is FF_Overkill. (Sidenote: In this username, the last two letters are L's---unlike my FF. net username which are I's. I know, it's confusing and annoying, Sorry!**

**Anyways, I'm not sure how frequently I will tweet, but I do have a few random scenes saved on my computer, so I figured it can't hurt to post some sneak peek snippets of dialogue! Hope to see some of you guys there!**

**Now onto the story! ^_^**

* * *

"Aaaand that's game," Sam smiled triumphantly, pulling one single piece of colorful paper from Spencer's grasp, his last one hundred dollar Monopoly bill.

"Nooooo!" The man whined pathetically, having just gone bankrupt. "Thimble! Why have you failed me so!" He added dramatically, accidentally making Frothy jump a bit from the outburst considering the cat was laying against his knee. The gray fur ball quickly scampered over towards Carly, his closest protector.

"Well at least you lasted longer than me," Carly shrugged with a smile as she scratched the cat under his chin, having been destroyed by her best friend ten minutes ago.

"Very true," Spencer chuckled. "Sam may have beaten me, but at least I wasn't the complete loser here."

"Hey!" Carly cried out in response with a laugh. "That's not nice!" She then picked up a random green house piece and playfully chucked it at her brother.

"No need to get hostile!" Spencer laughed, shielding his face as the plastic piece harmlessly bounced off his fingers and landed onto the mattress. He then picked it up and held it between his fingers. "Or should I say _house_-stile?" And with that he started busting out into laughter. Carly just groaned at her brother's joke as she dragged a hand across her face.

Meanwhile during this, Sam stayed quiet as she watched the siblings have a pretend argument. By now she realized she was starting to come off of her competitive 'high' as her body was reverting back into a sore and tired pile of feverish mush. Still, Sam couldn't help but smile as she watched Carly and Spencer. She was quite pleased she was the one who managed to completely annihilate the two siblings, causing them to have a debate about who was the biggest loser. Unfortunately Carly was it, but the brunette wasn't going to let her brother's statements go without a fight. Sam looked down at the board and stared at it for a moment, reveling in her victory, until Spencer's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Sam!" Spencer cried out pitifully.

"H-huh?" The blond asked, realizing she was starting to daydream in la la land.

"Tell Carly I beat her, and that she's a sore loser!" Spencer stated, sticking his tongue out at his little sister.

"The nerve!" Carly exclaimed over dramatically, sitting up on her knees as she put her hands against her hips. "Sam won't say that because she's _my_ best friend," She then spit her tongue out at her brother. Spencer just nose-thumbed her in response.

Sam couldn't help but jokingly roll her eyes at this. "Sorry Spence, but she's right," The blond then reached over and slung her arm around Carly's shoulder, causing the brunette to flash a triumphant smile over at the man.

"Aw pooh, beaten by the 'girl code'," Spencer whined, using air quotes around the term "girl code".

"Yup," Sam replied with a smile before looking over at Carly. "You're muh best friend kid. But as _your _best friend, I find it my duty to tell you that.....you bombed at Monopoly. Seriously Carls, that was a poor performance."

"Hey!" Carly called out for the second time in playful shock.

Spencer just started laughing. "Told ya!"

"Both of you guys are horrible!" Carly exclaimed, scrambling off the bed.

"Hey, don't get mad!" Sam replied in defense. "You're the one who has been preaching to me for years to tell the truth," She shrugged with a sheepish smile.

"And you decide to take my advice now?" Carly laughed, reaching over her bed to start cleaning up the board.

"Yup," Spencer answered in place for the blond. "Because Sam's my bud too. You can't influence her with your evil girly friendshipness," He laughed, lightly reaching over and ruffling the top of Sam's hair.

"Yeah," The blond girl chuckled for a moment at Spencer calling Carly evil, before abruptly stopping. "Oh ow," She whimpered a bit under the man's touch against her scalp, making Spencer instantly stop.

"You ok?" Carly asked, pausing the cleanup for a second as the two Shays looked on worriedly.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine," Sam quickly waved them off. "Just got a bit of a headache."

"Right, sorry!" Spencer replied, holding up his hands in apology for ruffling her hair. He had temporarily forgotten she was in such a weakened state, which made roughhousing a big no-no for now, despite how gentle it was.

"No worries," Sam smiled back at them. Unfortunately the sickness had to make her cut the fun short, but she was still enjoying their company nonetheless. There was just something really heartwarming about hanging around with the Shays, especially when sick. It was like being around family.

_'Family...'_ Sam repeated the thought slowly, realizing she felt something very off putting by that simple word.

"Sam?" Spencer asked, gently tapping the girl on the shoulder.

"Huh?" Sam looked up, broken out of her thoughts.

"You alright there bud?" He asked, having taken a notice that the girl was staring at nothing with a confused look on her face. Sam just looked at him for a moment, trying to figure out her thoughts until she finally got what was bothering her about this otherwise fun atmosphere.

"Did my mom call?" The girl asked bluntly, unintentionally ignoring his question as she didn't really hear it.

Both Carly and Spencer paused what they were doing for a second to look at her. Finally the man broke the silence. "What?" He asked, not expecting such a random question.

"My mom, have you heard from her?" Sam asked once more, her face looking very concerned.

"Oh uh yeah," Spencer replied softly, watching Sam's eyebrows go up in curiosity, as if she wasn't expecting that answer. "She called earlier this morning. You were asleep."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Carly cut in. "Spencer and I just didn't want to bother you..."

"Oh..." Sam paused for a moment, before giving them a half smile. "Ok thanks."

"No problem kid," Spencer smiled, glad to see that whatever panic she had in her eyes was gone. "Would you like me to try and get a hold of her?"

"Naw, it's alright," Sam gave a chuckle. "She's probably too busy cleaning up hobo droppings for the police right now."

Spencer couldn't help but laugh at her crude, yet funny statement. He was just relieved that Ms. Puckett had actually called. He couldn't lie about something like that to Sam.

"So..." Carly cut in, having finally cleaned up the Monopoly game. "Do you want to do anything else? Any more board games?" She asked her friend, gently sitting back down on her bed.

"We've got Twister!" Spencer nodded excitedly as he gave two thumbs up. Carly just reached over and whacked his shoulder with the back of her hand, scolding him for recommending such a game to a person recovering from surgery. Spencer winced with a frown on his face.

"_I was just kidding_.." He whispered under his breath.

"Um I don't really want to play anything else right now," Sam replied to the two with a smile, humored by Carly's roughness with her brother. "That was extremely fun and all, but, I'm kind of tired."

"That's no problem," Spencer smiled, crawling off the bed to give her leg room.

"Yeah, you should get some rest..." Carly agreed as she too stood up.

"Uh we can watch a movie though!" Sam hastily sat forward, quickly grabbing a hold of her best friend's wrist to stop her from walking away.

"Oh?" Carly asked, surprised at the motion. Sam just nodded in response, not saying a word. "Yeah ok, sure," Carly laughed, sitting back down on the bed.

Spencer just smiled at them, realizing Sam still wanted company. "Will you guys be needing anything?"

"Nah," Sam replied, looking over at one of her best friend's night stands to see a huge pile of half eaten snacks. "I'm good."

"Same," Carly laughed, crawling back under the covers next to Sam's right side.

"Alright well, I'll be downstairs if you need me!" Spencer gave them once last smile before turning around. Carly and Sam watched humorously as Frothy quickly got up from the foot of the bed and jumped off, before hobbling after Spencer.

"I don't get why your cat is obsessed with my brother," Carly added awkwardly, watching the gray fur ball's tail disappear past the door frame.

"I told him to be nice to Spencer when I got back from the hospital."

"You think he listened to you?" Carly asked.

Sam just nodded as she shuffled down into the covers, resting her pounding head against one of her friend's pillows. "He's a good cat," She stated, as if that made everything clear.

Carly just gave a small laugh as she picked up her remote and switched on the TV to find a movie, humored by her friend's weird beliefs.

* * *

Time passed as the girls continued to chill out in bed, having started a movie ten minutes ago. It was a bit of a debate in the beginning, but Carly finally agreed to watch some sort of macho dude fight movie that Sam wanted to see. As two brutish men duked it out on the TV, Carly stayed loyally with her best friend while keeping her eyes glued to the screen, wincing every once in a while at the faint sight of blood. Sam just laid comfortably next to the brunette with her eyes closed as she listened. While the blond wasn't fully out, she was still fogged up enough to sort of loose sight of what was on TV. Carly saw that her best friend had faded out at practically the time the movie started, which made her realize that she probably could have just ordered the movie she wanted to watch instead of Sam's. Still, Carly made sure to stay quiet for Sam's comfort, despite the fact that the movie cost four dollars on payperview, and the brunette had to close her eyes at the very bloody parts, which was about 90% of it so far.

* * *

A little more time passed, making it close to noon. Carly continued to watch the picture as a handsome actor walked into a fight arena, shirtless. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Sam, if you were awake, you'd be drooling all over my TV right now. That dude is a hunk," The brunette chuckled to herself, slurping up a spoonful from a freshly opened cup of yogurt. "Too bad he's gonna get beat into a pile of mush..." Carly muffled to herself, swallowing her yogurt.

"Who's a hunk?" Sam's voice lazily slurred.

"Oh!" Carly jumped a bit. "Didn't know you were still conscious," She laughed as she looked over at the girl.

"Where's the hunk?" Sam asked again, still a bit dazed as her eyes cracked open.

Carly couldn't help but playfully roll her eyes as she pointed to the TV. "There. There's the hunk," She chuckled.

"Nice," Sam smiled, her eyes finally focusing on the TV.

"So, you feeling better?" Carly asked, swirling her plastic spoon in her yogurt cup.

"Not really," Sam let out a heavy sigh, putting her hands behind her head and looking up at the ceiling. "Feels like there's a guy pounding on the inside of my skull with a jackhammer."

"Still got that headache huh?" Carly frowned as Sam gave a slight nod.

"Hurts behind my eyes and everything," The blond let out a tired sigh.

"Well we have Motrin, that takes care of headaches," Carly explained, sitting up a bit. "I could go check and see if it's compatible with your meds..."

"No," Sam shook her head lazily as she looked over at her best friend. "..it's ok, you don't have to."

"It'd really be no problem," Carly started to say as she pulled the blanket off her legs and started to get up. "And Spencer could call the doctor to double check before we...,"

"No.." Sam replied once more, a bit of desperation in her voice.

"Why?" Carly asked softly.

"I don't want to take anything else."

"But Sam...they'll make you feel better," Carly started to say before she was cut off.

"Like the Vicodin?" Sam asked bluntly.

"Uh.." Carly wasn't sure how to respond to that, but Sam cut her off again anyway.

"Just...no more pills," The blond sighed tiredly.

"But-"

"No more pills," Sam repeated firmly once more before locking eyes with her best friend. "_Please_."

Carly stared back at her for a moment before lightening up, realizing the girl was practically begging for her to drop it. And when Sam begged, it really meant that the subject _needed _to be dropped. "Alright, got it," She nodded, showing her she understood as she sat back down.

"Thanks," Sam let out a heavy sigh as she looked back over at the TV, grateful for the fact that Carly wasn't going to push it. But after a silent minute or so, the brunette finally spoke up.

"Sam?" She asked, her voice quiet.

"Huh? Yeah?" Sam looked over at her curiously.

"Would you object to ice?"

"What?" Sam asked awkwardly.

"It helps with headaches," Carly gave a nervous chuckle. Sam couldn't help but smile at this.

"Yeah sure," She laughed, noticing that her passive aggressive friend wasn't going to give up on the headache situation without a fight.

* * *

Eventually Carly had gone downstairs and brought back up a sandwich bag filled with ice for Sam. Both girls were now sitting Indian style under the covers next to each other, watching their movie. Sam was currently holding the cold plastic bag against her temples, and just as her best friend said, it brought tons of relief to her aching skull. The piercing pain behind her eyes was gone, and Sam let out a sigh of comfort at the fact as she continued to stare at the screen. Every once in a while Carly would sneak a glance or two over at her best friend to see how she was doing. She was glad to see that the ice bag seemed to be working, because it was obvious Sam was finally comforted enough to fall asleep....as she was stating to conk out sitting completely upright. Carly raised an inquisitive eyebrow as she watched Sam's eyes slide close. Within seconds the blond girl's head was starting to tilt forward, obviously signaling the onset of sleep.

Just as Carly was about to open her mouth and tell her best friend to lay down, Sam's head snapped up once more, her eyes fully open. It was apparent the girl was trying to focus her attention back on the TV, only to close her eyes up yet again and let her head fall forward. Carly curiously watched for a few more seconds as Sam repeated this awkward movement three more times, obviously fighting her body's sleepy state. The brunette couldn't help but smile as she watched her friend valiantly try to stay awake, only to unknowingly drop the bag of ice into her lap. The funniest part was that Sam hadn't even noticed this as she still held her empty hand to her temple. Finally, after half a minute or so, Carly had been humored long enough.

"Sam!"

"Wuah?" Sam lazily picked up her head once more, and looked over at her best friend with half lidded eyes.

"Stop fighting it! Go to sleep!"

"Fighting what?" Sam asked with a yawn.

"That!" Carly pointed accusingly, referring to the girl's lazy action.

Sam just finished up her yawn and sluggishly stared at her friend through half closed eyes. "I dunno what you're talkin bout."

"You're making me tired just by watching you," Carly laughed as she playfully pushed her friend's right shoulder. Although she was shocked when the blond girl's body just simply went with the movement, making her fall onto her side against the mattress.

"Ow," Sam stated unemotionally, staring out into space as she laid against her left side.

"Sorry!" Carly murmured quickly, offering a hand to her friend to help pull her back up.

"Nah it's ok," Sam looked up at her and smiled. "Didn't hurt that much," The blond replied, lazily shuffling her body around so she was laying against her back instead of her side.

Carly sighed as she looked down at her friend. "So you're going to go to sleep now?" She asked, hoping her friend would stop trying to be stubborn in every aspect of recovering.

"Yeah yeah fine..." Sam waved her friend off, feeling too tired to even be witty. "Night," She lazily slurred, before instantly drifting off. Carly just laughed as she shook her head before looking back over to the TV.

* * *

After ten minutes or so, Sam stirred from her awfully quick nap, feeling worse then when she faded out.

_'Crap,'_ Sam moaned, feeling very uncomfortable as her body woke up. _'The room feels like it's 90 degrees,'_ The blond let off a dragged sigh, shuffling in bed a bit. _'And this comforter is way too heavy,'_ Sam pitifully whimpered in her head, realizing the plush blanket that had previously saved her from chills the night before was now drowning her in flames. With one last sigh, Sam looked over to her right and was glad to see Carly was still laying next to her watching TV.

"Carls?" Sam asked tiredly.

"Hm?" Carly turned her head, not expecting her friend to be awake. She was sure Sam would be out for _hours_ after that little display of sluggishness. "Are you serious?" The brunette laughed, figuring Sam was still stubbornly fighting the sleepiness. Just as she was about to make a remark to her friend, she was cut off.

"Can we go downstairs?" Sam asked weakly, sitting up a bit and rubbing her neck.

Carly paused for a moment, studying her best friend's face. It was obvious the girl wasn't playing around, as something was obviously bothering her by her drained expression. "Uh sure, but why?"

Sam just shrugged, not really wanting to pester her friend with the insignificant detail of her body's temperature going out of whack. "Just need a change of scenery."

"Alright," Carly replied hesitantly with concern, before getting off the bed and walking over to help Sam up.

* * *

As the girls made their way downstairs Carly stayed close to her friend, noticing that her skin was still pretty warm to the touch. Eventually the two settled down on the couch, Sam laying on the right, with Carly sitting up on the left. As usual, the blond used her friend as a foot rest.

"Better?" Carly asked.

"Much," Sam smiled, before closing her eyes and snuggling her cheek against one of the couch's pillows. With the comforter completely gone, she felt tons better with the air cooling down her skin.

"Good," Carly smiled in return, glad that whatever was bothering her friend seemed to have been fixed. She then picked up the remote and flicked on the TV, pleased to see that the downstairs cable connection shared the same payperview timing as the upstairs. The brunette had to admit she was getting pretty hooked into the movie she was watching and was excited to see the end. Of course, she would never admit it to Sam.

A few minutes passed as the girls once again sat in a comfortable silence until Sam's snores started coming from the left side of the couch. Carly looked over and was relieved to see that her friend was really out this time.

* * *

The day dragged on as typically as it could, considering Sam was still recovering. Spencer had come into the living room a bit earlier and draped a blanket over both the girls before returning back to his room.

Carly just sat quietly, listening to the TV and her friend's noisy sleeping habits. Her movie ended some time ago, and Carly was quite satisfied with it. Of course, she could have done without the blood, mutilation, bone crunching, and paralyzing...but everything else was pretty good, mainly the hot guys. Still, she had to give it up to Sam for picking out an interesting movie. It was just too bad that the girl missed it. '_Oh well_,' Carly thought, glancing over at Sam on the couch who was completely knocked out. '_She can catch it later_,' The brunette realized sleep was much more important to her friend's health then watching some dudes beat each other up, despite what Sam would have said about the situation if she were awake.

A few more minutes passed, and everything remained calm and quiet in the living room. Carly was lazily flicking through some channels when she felt a bit of movement on her lap and looked over to see her friend shuffling around on the couch. "Sam?" She asked cautiously, hoping the girl wasn't going to wake up yet. While an hour's rest was a lot better than the unhealthy ten minute naps Sam was slogging through earlier, Carly still wanted her best friend to stay asleep for a bit longer, especially since iCarly was in five hours. Carly knew how much rest her friend needed for the webshow, so she watched on worriedly as Sam furrowed her brow in what looked to be discomfort, hoping it didn't mean she was on the verge of waking up.

"Nrrr...too..hot.." Sam moaned, her eyes closed.

"What?" Carly asked, sitting forward to hear better.

"...hot..." Sam mumbled once more, jerking her head to the side.

Carly wasn't sure if her best friend was actually answering her or not considering the girl looked to be asleep and was silently mouthing the word hot a few more times as if she were dreaming. "Are you alright?" She asked, watching Sam twist up the blanket in her fists. Eventually the blond calmed down, and tilted her head to the side, letting off a few deep breaths.

"Sam?" Carly asked once more, only to be met with silence. After gently shuffling out from under her best friend's feet, she made her way over to the right side of the couch and knelt down next to Sam before placing the back of her hand against her forehead. Carly frowned at the amount of perspiration coming off it from the fever. While it wasn't drastic, it still felt like it would be uncomfortable. "First the chills, now this huh?" Carly sighed, grabbing a napkin off the table to wipe off her hand as she looked down at Sam who remained quiet in a restless sleep. _'This infection is really beating her down,' _Carly sighed sadly, wishing the antibiotics would work faster. While the medication was helping keep the fever stable, Sam's body unfortunately had to keep fighting off the bacteria until everything could get cleared up. With another sympathetic sigh, Carly hoisted herself up and quickly made her way over to Spencer's bathroom to try and bring some comfort to her ailing friend before she could wake up.

Unfortunately during this, Sam weakly opened up her eyes, only to find herself looking up at the ceiling. "Oh man.." She moaned, placing an arm across her eyes. "Why's everything so hot..." She whimpered, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Unfortunately she was too fogged out to realize a blanket was on top of her, so the girl just kept her eyes closed and gave a depressed sigh as she tried to fall back asleep.

Meanwhile, Carly finally returned from her brother's bathroom with a dark green hand towel that had been moistened with ice cold water. She walked back over to Sam and gently placed the cloth against her best friend's feverish forehead. Sam's body let out a jolt of surprise from the unexpected action.

"Oops," Carly murmured guiltily, watching as her friend let off a small shake from the contact. "Sorry! Please don't wake up!" She whispered quickly.

At this point, Sam kept her eyes closed as she listened to her friend talk to her. _'Wake up? Oh, she must think I'm asleep...'_ The blond chuckled in her mind as she felt her body relax into the cool sensation coming from the towel. Just as the girl cracked one of her eyes open to thank her best friend, she instead paused and watched as Carly grabbed the edge of the blanket on top of her and proceeded to roll it down a bit. Sam watched quietly without a word as her friend freed her arms and torso from the sickening warmth, before gently tucking the edges of the red cloth in around her waist. It was obvious that Carly knew she was burning up a bit and was trying to relieve some of the heat. Once the brunette was done, she walked back over to the other end of the couch, and slid her way back under her best friend's legs.

Sam couldn't help but smile, knowing that her friend was totally unaware she was awake, and decided to break the silence. "That feels good. Thank you."

"Oh!" Carly gave a startled jump underneath her legs. "You're up?" She asked in surprise as she saw her best friend glancing back at her.

"Yeah."

"Did I wake you?" Carly frowned a bit.

"Mm no," Sam answered honestly. "I've been up."

"You've _got_ to stop doing that!"

"Doing what?" Sam asked awkwardly.

"Pretending you're asleep! You're going to give me a heart attack!" Carly laughed.

"I wasn't pretending anything," Sam gave a tired laugh. "I was just relaxing the eyes for like a minute or two," She smiled weakly as she sat up a bit and held the hand towel to her head.

"I see," Carly nodded as she watched Sam close her eyes slowly, taking into account that the girl still looked a bit pale and tired, considering she had dark circles under her eyes. Carly didn't know how anyone could look so beat after sleeping all day, but knew her friend's body was fighting a nasty infection. With a sympathetic sigh, Carly gave her a small smile. "So how you holding up?" She asked gently as her friend opened her eyes.

"Well..I'm holding," Sam shrugged with a weak smile. "Really though, thanks," She nodded, referring to the hand towel once more as she rubbed it down the left side of her face, across her neck, and back up the right.

"You're welcome," Carly smiled back before letting off a small chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Sam asked curiously.

"Well it's just...you've been pretty calm these past few days. Kinda weird with all the thanking."

"Yeah?" Sam asked with a shrug.

"Just wondering if you were aware of the fact," Carly chuckled.

"I was...er..am," Sam nodded before sighing. "Just...too tired to be me, know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I understand," Carly replied honestly, before pausing and cracking a small smile. "Though how one could be too tired to act lazy is beyond me," She chuckled, deciding to let off one joke at her friend's expense to test and see how it affected her mood.

"Nice Shay," Sam laughed, lightly kicking her friend with her toe in retaliation. "But being lazy isn't what just makes me...me for your information. I have many other wonderful qualities such as sarcasm and a charming wit. And those are talents that don't just come naturally you know. It requires mental preparation and timing," Sam nodded, feeling the need to defend other aspects of her personality as opposed to the lazy one.

"Yeah.." Carly replied with a sly smile, realizing Sam was reacting in a more positive light. "If only you used your mental preparation skills for good, not evil. Maybe then you would have a higher grade point average," She laughed, taking into account that her best friend's eyes were seemingly starting to uncloud as they talked. It was as if the blond missed these sort of insulting debates, so Carly decided to try her best to play the "Sam and Freddie" game while the boy was still away.

"Carls, if I used it for good, I would already be bumped up into college level courses," Sam boasted proudly with much exaggeration."But then, what fun would that be? More work," She added in jest as the two girls chuckled.

Carly smiled as she rolled her eyes. While her friend was just joking, Carly knew that in reality Sam did have a sharp mind. It was just her personality that dulled it down in terms of schoolwork.

"And anyways...," Sam started to say. "Who you calling lazy in the first place? I'm not the only one here sitting on this couch."

"I hardly think that proves a point!" Carly laughed. "You've been dragging me from room to room with you all day!"

"Psh, you know you enjoy it," Sam laughed. "I got you off from school today didn't I?"

"Yes, because you were sleeping on top of me!" Carly smiled as she shook her head. "Lazy!" She added, calling her friend another nickname.

"Well I'm not the only one here with a personality defect, Ms. Works All Day Shay!" Sam smirked.

"Oh! So you're going to make fun of me for _my_ work ethic?"

"Well you're criticizing mine!" Sam laughed.

"No, I'm criticizing your _lack_ of work ethic. There's a bit of a difference!"

"Difference shmifference!" Sam waved her off as she unfolded the towel and covered her entire face with it, trying to cool down.

Carly just laughed before letting off a sigh. While the insulting banter was lifting her friend's spirits, it was still obvious that Sam might not have enough strength to keep this up. Carly wasn't even sure if her friend had enough energy to do something as lazy as hit a balloon back and forth with tennis rackets. The girl just looked so sick and weak. With another sigh, Carly decided to hold off on anymore insults. "But still all kidding aside, I gotta say the appreciation has been nice...," Carly explained as Sam peeled the cold towel off her face to look at her. "...even if you're not quite yourself yet," The brunette gave a slight nod, also realizing she didn't have Freddie's talents to keep up this game with the blond. She just felt too guilty insulting a sick person, even if it seemed to put Sam in a better mood.

Sam just sighed, giving her friend a tired smile. "Well then...I'll have to make a note of it to say thanks more often," She replied, slowly laying back down on the couch, figuring she could at least do _that_ for her friend when she felt better. "That is if I remember when I'm off all this jank medication," Sam added as she closed her eyes, making sure to keep a loophole in her promise.

"I'd like that," Carly replied with a laugh before reaching over and giving her friend a small tap on the knee to get her attention back for a second. "But..." Sam opened her eyes and looked over at the brunette as she continued. "...don't get too soft on me. When all this is over, I want you back to normal," Carly instructed her.

"You prefer _lazy-no-work-ethic_ Sam as opposed to _kind-thankful-tired_ Sam?" The blond asked with a humored smile.

"Duh!" Carly laughed. "You make me sad when you're all mopey and sick feeling..." She then pouted out her bottom lip. "....even if you're nicer," She added with a chuckle.

Sam couldn't help but smile at this simple comedic yet heartwarming statement. Of course, she always knew that her best friend appreciated her for who she was, but for some reason it was just really nice to hear it out loud, especially considering how awful she was feeling physically. Finally Sam looked back up at her best friend and gave her a warm smile. "Thanks Carls, I really appreciate that."

* * *

**Who doesn't like a super long CAM friendship chapter? =) **

**And I just wanted to give a little explanation for why I wrote this one out! I really wanted to show off the 'stay at home from school sick' sort of aspect of those sorts of days. Of course, Sam has been home since the surgery, but I wanted this chapter to reflect all the things you guys may have felt when you stayed home from school sick. (Despite having surgery or not.) **

**Whenever I had to stay home from school, it was usually because I felt horrible (Sometimes I skipped, but that's another story...moving on.. xD). But even though I was sick, I also got pampered by my family, which I absolutely loved! Everyone becomes like your little servant, and whenever you're bored and need someone around to talk to, they're always there for you!**

**With Sam, I really wanted to show off this whole atmosphere. Right now, she basically has no family, so I wanted to do a chapter in which she still gets the proper treatment from her friends when she isn't feeling well. Granted Sam was sick and asleep most of the time during this chapter, but Spencer and Carly were there for her when she needed them. (Such as bringing out a board game to relieve her boredom). Obviously 'taking care of Sam' has been a running theme in this story since chapter one, but I just want you guys to understand there's a reason for all of these little seemingly unimportant scenes, such as Sam wanting Carly with her throughout the entire day, even if she was asleep.**

**So overall, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! I also hope it gave you that feeling of a 'sick day' from school! I like it when my readers can relate to my writing, so I try my best to put my own experiences into the story in hopes that you guys have gone through the same! As always, if you're reading, I'd love to hear what you think! Please drop by a review, especially if you can relate to the chapter!**


	107. Lazy Day

**Are the glitches gone yet? D= FF. net is really annoying me with these backlogged alert emails. I mean, I love this site, but man their response time to situations like this is too lagging. x_x **

**Anyways, new chapter. =) More fluff as usual lol. And I'm starting off a chapter with a Ridgeway scene! ^_^ This is the one where I used some of my frequent reviewers for the chapter! (You guys are great! I'm just sad I couldn't find a place for all the entries, but I needed only a few characters!) Unfortunately the student interaction in this chapter isn't as big as it was in Carly's, so I rarely got to show off the personalities of you guys. I still hope you liked the scene!  
**

* * *

While Carly and Sam were enjoying each others company at the apartment, the day unfortunately dragged on for Ridgeway's resident tech nerd.

"Ohh...." Freddie grumbled to himself quietly as he continued to watch his history teacher point out every single mistake the students made on their tests.

"And furthermore..." The teacher let out a sigh of disappointment. "Lincoln was NOT shot while asking for a girl's address during the battle of Gettysburg," The teacher then squinted his eyes at a certain student for thinking up such a ridiculous answer. "Gibby."

"Dangit!" The plump boy murmured, shaking his head as he looked down at his test paper which was completely covered in red marks. He was so sure he had that one right.

"And don't even get me started on..." Freddie watched as the teacher just sighed and continued listing ridiculous statements from his peers.

_'Ugh...' _The boy moaned in his head, feeling extremely tired as he slumped down further in his seat. _'Why did I eat all of those pancakes?' _He sighed, resting his head on his desk and closing his eyes for a moment. While his breakfast with Spencer was fun, Freddie had to admit that it was a pretty big mistake. Throughout the entire day, he felt sluggish and tired. _'No wonder Sam can never stay awake during school...'_ Freddie thought, realizing the girl ate like that every morning. At first he just thought she was purposely acting lazy, but now he had a sort of 'understanding' of why she was so tired all the time at school. Still, it was Sam's fault anyways for eating like a monster. _'Mine too..' _Freddie thought, taking a deep breath, deciding to try and lift his head up. _'Urf...can't...'_ The boy mumbled in his mind, realizing his neck was too tired to even try. _'Oh well...guess I could stay like this until the teacher yells at me or something_..' Freddie decided to go with that plan, figuring the teacher's loud booming voice of disapproval would give him enough incentive to move. Ironically it never came.

The minutes ticked by on the clock as the history class continued. Freddie had fallen asleep, and a few students snickered as the boy started snoring softly. One of the girls in the back, Shorty, was rolling up paper balls and tossing them at his head as he slept.

"_Ha. Nice one Shorty_," Another classmate named Mario whispered to her when she successfully managed to bounce one right off of Freddie's sleeping head.

"_Thanks_," Shorty whispered in response as she gave him a high five. "_Too bad it didn't wake him up though_."

"_Yeah_," Another girl Caitlin spoke up, joining the conversation. "_Lemme try_!"

The kids continued on throwing paper balls and shooting spitballs at Freddie's back until they got bored of it. Finally one of Freddie's classmates decided to speak up about the boy's lazy action.

"Mr. Lin!"

"Yes Meredith?" The teacher asked, pausing his lecture on what the students did wrong on the test.

"Freddie's asleep!"

"Yes and?"

"Well....um...its class time and uh.." The girl paused, not knowing what to say.

"He can sleep," Mr. Lin nodded.

"Huh? But isn't that against school code or something?" Meredith asked curiously.

"Freddie got a one hundred on his test, so he's getting a free pass today, unlike _some_ kids here who need to listen to this lecture," Mr Lin crossed his arms and gave Gibby an accusatory look. The boy just shuffled down in his seat, murmuring something about cheese whiz. "And what did _you_ get Meredith?" The teacher turned his assault on the girl.

"A one hundred," She replied smugly.

Mr. Lin's triumphant look faltered a bit. "Oh right...you, Carly, and Freddie were the only ones who got a perfect score," He gave a nervous chuckle as he cleared his throat. "Uh have a nice nap then," He added before looking at his other students. "But as for the rest of you guys..."

Meanwhile, Meredith just looked around for a second before shrugging and placing her head on her desk. She enjoyed school, but was no fool when it came to free nap time.

* * *

Time passed as the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Luckily it awoke Freddie with a start. As a bunch of students started getting up, Freddie groaned as he realized he had been drooling like a..well.... like a Sam. Using his shirt sleeve, he wiped off his mouth before gathering up his books. Just as he was about to get up, he noticed something...unsettling. Everyone was gone from the room except for him and a brown haired girl named Allie. She was just sitting next to him at her desk, staring at him with a smile.

"Oh uh...," Freddie looked at her nervously. "Did I sleep through the entire class?" He asked, trying to make conversation as he knew it was a moot question since everyone had already left.

"Yup," Allie smiled.

"And no one woke me up?" Freddie asked curiously.

"Nope. I was going to, but then I noticed how cute you are...when you drool," She beamed at him.

Freddie just gave back an awkward smile, trying to hide his embarrassment. Boy did he wish he wasn't there right now.

* * *

Back at the Shay apartment, Carly stayed with Sam on the couch as they continued to relax. The brunette noticed that after they had talked, Sam seemed to be in a better mood, especially for sleep. Carly respected that and stayed quiet for her, glad she could help the sick girl feel better. Eventually Sam faded out as time passed, so Carly remained silent for a little longer, before she realized she had to go use the restroom. She was just grateful that Sam wasn't sleeping on her this time, as the situation would have been a lot more uncomfortable. Carly gently shuffled out from under her friend's legs and made a beeline for Spencer's bathroom.

* * *

When she got to Spencer's room, she saw that he was sitting at his computer desk, scribbling on a sketchpad with an intense artist's look in his eyes.

"What goes on?" Carly smiled as she stopped in his doorway leaned against his door frame.

Spencer looked up as he was broken out of his thoughts and smiled at her. "Just doin' a little sketchin, you?"

"Just doin' a little watchin," Carly laughed, walking over to get a glance at what her brother was working on.

"Hey now!" Spencer exclaimed as he quickly flipped the top page of the sketchpad over, concealing his work from view. "No peaking."

"Aw just one?" Carly pouted.

"No," Spencer shook his head. "You know I..."

"...never sketch and tell," Carly finished with a laugh.

"Right! Sorry kiddo, but you're going to have to wait for the sculpture."

"I should have known better," Carly smiled.

"Yes, you should have," Spencer laughed in agreement. "So how's Sam?"

"She's asleep. Fell out about ten minutes ago," Carly nodded.

"Oh, that's good."

"Mhm," Carly agreed as she nodded her head and started to walk across Spencer's room.

"So where you goin?"

"Bathroom," Carly pointed towards his door. "Gotta pee."

"I see," Spencer smiled as his sister laughed before disappearing behind the door. The man then hummed to himself as he decided to take a break from drawing and placed his sketchpad against his computer desk. With a stretch of the arms, he turned around in his swivel chair and stood up, inspecting his room. "Hm....really should clean up around here..." He remarked thoughtfully, noticing that there were tons of art supplies and dirty clothes sprawled across the floor. "I could swear that shirt is moving.." Spencer then cocked his head as he stared at a lump of laundry. "Wait..it _is _moving!" He remarked, slowly making his way over to the twitching bulk of dark blue fabric. Spencer hesitantly grabbed the edge of it, and in one swift movement yanked it off. Of course what else would be under it other than..

"Oh! Frothy!" Spencer laughed, glad to see there wasn't a raccoon or something under there. The last time Spencer found one in his room, Carly refused to go into the apartment for a week. The man was still curious about how a nocturnal food ravager made it into his room.....that wasn't Sam. Anyways, shaking his thoughts away, Spencer looked down curiously at the cat to see he was pawing at the wall.

"What are you doing?" Spencer asked awkwardly as Frothy looked up at him for a second before looking back at the wall. The man looked at the cat oddly, as the creature continued to stare at the wall in an almost hypnotic state.

**

* * *

**

After a minute or so, Carly came back out of her brother's bathroom, pausing in the doorway when she saw an awkward scene. Spencer was sitting on the left side of his bed, staring blankly at the wall, while Frothy was sitting at his feet, doing the same thing. Both pairs of eyes were intensely focused on the same spot, the cat's tail twitching in curiosity. The two almost looked as though they were possessed. Carly just raised an eyebrow, incredibly confused by this.

"Spencer?" She spoke hesitantly, wondering if she should even ask or just walk away quietly, but decided to take her chances. "What are you doing?"

"I don't.....know..." Spencer replied slowly, not taking his eyes off the wall. Carly slowly walked over to his side of the bed and stared at the wall for a moment, not noticing anything out of place.

"But then why..?" She started to ask before she was cut off.

"Frothy has been staring at this spot for a very long time. I'm trying to figure out what has him so excited."

"Frothy?" Carly asked as her brother nodded. The brunette looked down at the cat, and then at the wall, and then realized something. "Oh _I_ know.." She replied with a laugh.

"You do?!" Spencer asked in shock, breaking his stare fest to look at her.

"Mhm," Carly nodded with a smirk as she walked over to his wall. Spencer watched curiously as his sister brought up her fist and gave the hard surface a good hard smack.

"MEOW!" A muffled cat's cry could be heard as Frothy stood up in excitement.

Spencer's mouth just hung open in shock. "THAT CAT IS _STILL_ IN THE WALL?"

"Yup," Carly sighed.

"I _really _need to get someone up here about that!" Spencer remarked in shock.

"Yes, you do," His sister just laughed as she turned around and left the room.

* * *

Carly walked back into the living room to see her friend sprawled out on the couch, just as she left her a few minutes ago. By now Sam had completely kicked off the blanket in her sleepy state as it was thrown lazily onto the floor, although Carly couldn't blame her. After picking up the blanket from the floor and draping it over the back of the couch, Carly finished up her motherly tasks by re wetting Sam's hand towel before placing it back on her friend's forehead. Unlike all the other times, Carly noticed that Sam didn't budge at the cold action.

_'She must really be out,'_ Carly thought as she made her way back around to her side of the couch and gently lifted Sam's legs up to scoot back under her feet. Carly couldn't help but grunt as she managed to squirm back underneath her friend as the blond's legs were as heavy as lead, further enforcing the fact that Sam was dead to the world.

"There we go," Carly sighed, settling back into place. Sam just continued to snore lazily next to her. As the brunette took one last glance at her friend to make sure she was ok, Carly couldn't help but let out a yawn, realizing she too was tired.

While she wasn't sick like Sam was, Carly had to admit she felt drained from the week as well. It had been an emotional hurricane, and the brunette was just glad there was a moment of peace. Of course, Sam was still pretty sick because of the infection, but at least things were calming down. With Spencer in his room taking a break, and Sam on the couch sleeping, Carly couldn't help but share in the relaxed and tired atmosphere. With one last yawn, she pulled the red blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around herself. Since Sam was laying down and taking up most of the room...as usual, Carly curled up into her side of the couch, attempting to sleep upright. As the brunette wrapped the blanket around herself, she tried her best to keep most of the fabric off of her friend, as to avoid overheating Sam's fever.

Once she was tucked in, Carly looked over at Sam and smiled. "Night," She repeated her friend's earlier incorrect phrase before closing her eyes and drifting off.

* * *

As time passed, school finally let out. Freddie was now casually walking down the sidewalk with his book bag slung over his shoulder, en route to the nearest pharmacy. He really wanted to get home as soon as possible to see how his friends were doing, but his mom had left him a voice mail message instructing him to go to the store to buy some various ointments. The boy regretted the day he ever told his mom his cell phone number.

With a heavy sigh, Freddie pulled out his cell phone and decided to give Carly a warning text that he may not be back from school right away. After typing out a response and sending it, Freddie shoved his cell back into his pocket and continued along his way.

* * *

Meanwhile during this, at the Shay apartment, Sam stirred from her rest with an all too familiar, yet unwelcome, feeling.

_'Ugh, hot, cold, hot, cold, when does it stop?'_ Sam moaned, waking up with a slight shiver and chill. _'Being sick defies all logic!' _She sighed, opening her eyes as she looked around the room in a daze. Once her eyesight cleared up, she realized she was no longer wearing a blanket. "Uh... what?" She asked to no one in particular as she sat up. That was when she noticed Carly was still sitting by her feet.....bundled up in the blanket as the brunette continued to snooze sitting upright. Sam stared at her for a moment before pointing accusingly. "Hey, not fair!" The blond moaned, incorrectly guessing that Carly stole the blanket from her when she was sleeping. Of course the fact that Sam fell asleep burning up never really registered to the girl. All she saw was a stolen item.

"Well at least share!" Sam shivered a bit as she turned around on the couch so her feet were against the floor. She then scooted over so she was sitting next to Carly's left side, and pulled half of the blanket out from around her friend before wrapping it around herself. Now both of the girls were bundled up in the big red blanket. With a yawn, Sam placed her head against Carly's left shoulder, starting to feel the warmth of the fabric and her friend's body heat around her. _'That's better.' _Sam thought to herself, lazily starting to settle back into dreamland. Although only three minutes passed when an abrupt sound made the blond jump from her sleep.

"Huh?!" Sam asked awkwardly, looking around in another daze until she realized the source of the noise was coming from the coffee table. It was Carly's cell phone and it was vibrating. Sam cocked an eyebrow before looking over at her friend, who was still asleep.

"You gonna get that?" The blond asked. Carly just stayed still and unmoving. "Figured as much," Sam chuckled, pulling the covers off her arms and reaching over to pick up the device. With a shiver, she opened up the cover to see that her friend had a new text from...Freddie.

"Ooh, how interesting," Sam smirked, opening the message.

**Hey Carly, just wanted 2 tell u I hav som errands to run after skool. mom wants me to buy more ointments. (dont ask) D= I may get back a little later then usual tho. **

The blond couldn't help but smile as she tapped out a response.

* * *

Meanwhile Freddie was rounding a corner as he felt an odd sensation come from his pocket. After pulling out his cell phone, he was happy to see that he got a reply from Carly a few minutes after sending the original text. Freddie then flipped it open and scanned the message.

**Good.**

"What?" Freddie thought out loud as he looked down at the simple four letter word. It was incredibly rude and un-Carly like. Then with a small smirk the boy rolled his eyes in realization as he tapped out a quick message before hitting send once more.

* * *

Sam let off a yawn as Carly's cell vibrated in her hand. She lazily flicked it open.

**SAM!**

The blond couldn't help but laugh as she typed out another response.

* * *

Freddie just continued to walk down the sidewalk with a smug look on his face, having found out who the perpetrator was. Sam may have fooled him once before with fake texts from Carly's phone, but not this time. The boy stopped walking once his cell started vibrating though. With a confident smirk, he flipped it open again, expecting to see a message of defeat from Sam, but as his eyes continued to read the words his confidence faltered.

**Uh no....it's Spence, Freddo.**

Freddie's breath hitched in his throat as he felt a wave of stupidity rush over him. The boy awkwardly wrote out a quick response before sending it.

**

* * *

**

Sam waited patiently for the next response as she stayed curled up in the blanket next to her friend. Of course when the phone vibrated again, she had to pull the plush blanket off her arms once more to answer. _'Where's a Snuggie when you need one?' _Sam thought as she opened up the new text from Freddie.

**Spencer?? But then y the weird response?**

Sam thought for a moment, before responding.

* * *

Only a block away from the store now, Freddie looked at his cell as he got another message. He curiously opened it up, waiting for an answer to that awfully rude and weird sounding text as he was still on the fence about it being Sam or Spencer. When his eyes scanned the words, he realized the mistake he made.

**Wats weird? I jus thought it was good 4 u to be doin errands 4 ur mom.**

_'Crap, it was Spencer,' _Freddie nervously chuckled in his head, quickly typing out a response to make up for his mistake.

* * *

Sam wasn't sure if she was on her A game or not considering her weakened state, but once she read Freddie's newest message, she gave herself a pat on the back.

**Oh...ok. =) So yea, can u tell Carly n Sam I wont b back until later?**

"Hook, line, and sinker," Sam chuckled, typing back a response to Freddie's question.

* * *

Freddie read the newest text and cocked an eyebrow.

**No.**

_'Why won't Spencer tell the girls I'll be home later?'_ He thought awkwardly, deciding to ask the question in a text.

**

* * *

**

**Uh...y not?**

Sam just smiled, deciding to give up her cover. While she was having a lot of fun with the boy, and could easily put him and Spencer in a very awkward, or humorous position, the girl was still tired and cruddy feeling. With that last thought, she quickly wrote out another response.

* * *

Freddie was finally at the store, but decided to hang outside for a bit until his text conversation was over. He was currently waiting for the next text, wanting an explanation for Spencer's weird actions. The boy finally received one.

**Y not? I dun like you....or your face.**

"Excuse me?!" Freddie spoke out loud to his phone as a group of people coming out of the store looked at him awkwardly. He thought to himself for a moment, before reality smacked him in the face. "ARG! THAT'S TWICE NOW!" Freddie grumbled angrily to the phone as he quickly wrote out a response to "Spencer."

* * *

Sam finally received an unsurprising response.

**DANG IT SAM!**

She just smiled and typed out a few characters before sending it back.

* * *

**:)**

Freddie just moaned at the response, realizing he had been had by the blond demon.

**

* * *

**

**Stop doin stuff like dat!**

Sam just chuckled as she wrote an explanation to the boy.

* * *

**Well, Carly wusnt goin 2 respond becuz shes asleep. So its not like I ripped the cell out of her hand or sumthin. Plus i culd hav just not responded to u at all!**

Freddie sighed, typing back a response.

* * *

**yea, too bad.**

_'Getting snippy with me huh?'_ Sam thought, quickly writing back an equally feisty message.

* * *

**watch it.**

As Freddie's eyes scanned the newest message, he couldn't help but get a feeling of...normalcy. Sam was acting a lot more...Sammish. Even though he didn't notice it right away, he realized he liked it. With a smirk, he typed back a reply.

* * *

**someones feeling better.**

Sam just looked at the response for a moment before thinking about how she felt. _'Actually, I still feel like crap_..' Sam thought awkwardly, letting off a few shivers as she squished herself back into to Carly to try and alleviate the chills. But even so, the blond couldn't help but notice that when she was in the middle of texting with Freddie, she hadn't paid attention to the sick feelings at all. It was as if the only thing that mattered during conversations like this was Freddie's responses. Everything else was put on hold. Sam couldn't help but notice that...she sorta liked that. Of course, the fact that Freddie brought up the question of health made her mind go back to the sick feelings, so even though the boy was helping out for a bit, he managed to ruin it. With this last bit of confusion, Sam decided to go with a nonchalant response.

* * *

**Meh.**

Freddie cocked an eyebrow at the vague reply, wondering how his friend was truly feeling. Sam always seemed to pass things off if they bothered her, so Freddie decided to confront that message.

* * *

**..are you?**

Sam was a bit irked that the boy could see through her guise, but decided to answer his question anyway.

**

* * *

  
**

**im ok. **

Freddie just paused for a moment. If Sam was truly feeling better, he probably would have gotten a more...lively response to his question other than "im ok." While Freddie wasn't as good as Carly was at detecting certain emotions based off Sam's behavior, he was pretty sure the blond still wasn't feeling the best. It was obvious there was a huge change in the tone of the conversation once he asked how she was feeling, so he wasn't buying her simple statements at face value. _'Sam may be smart, but sometimes she can give away her feelings too easily.'_ Freddie thought to himself, noticing that this was one of those times. He decided to push it one last time and try to get her to give him a straight answer.

* * *

**really? **

Sam growled a bit under her breath, starting to get annoyed with the boy. She knew he knew what was up, and hated the fact that he could see through her words. Still, she choked back her anger and typed back a three letter response, hoping he would give up the questions.

* * *

**yea**

Freddie wasn't buying it. With a small sigh, he decided to send one last message about the subject.

* * *

**Oh...ok. still, feel better tho.**

Sam's eyebrows went up as she read her friend's awfully considerate message. She wasn't expecting it and debated on whether or not to write back a nice response or an insulting one.

* * *

Finally Freddie looked down at his cell as it vibrated in his hand. He cautiously flipped it open and read.

**Stop botherin me and go get ur butt ointment nub.**

With a small smile and sigh, Freddie closed his phone and shoved it into his right pant pocket. Now_ that_ was a response he should have been expecting. But as he continued along to the front door of the pharmacy, he had to pause as that familiar sensation came from his leg.

"Huh?" Freddie pulled his phone back out and opened it up to see a new message from Carly's cell.

**....and thx.**

**

* * *

****(Also, two little sidenotes here: In the texting scene, the smiley face Sam sent Freddie was supposed to be an evil one, with the little arrow symbol representing evil eyebrows. Unfortunately FF. net won't allow that little arrow character in --it deletes it each time I try to add it-- so I couldn't get that exactly as I wanted it. Still, I figured the nice smiley is just as mocking anyway so it works. xD And lastly, I hope this texting scene flowed just as well as the last one! I wanted to give each character's thoughts and feelings on the texts, so I'm sorry if it came out a bit choppy. If you guys want it to be a less choppy, after originally reading the chapter, I'd recommend you go back to the start of the text conversation and ONLY read the bold parts. That way you can get a sort of feel how the conversation went without all the little added stuff. :P Plus it's kind of fun to just read the texts only. It makes the snappy comebacks more...snappy. Lol!)**

**And lastly, ****I just wanted to say that I really liked putting in that last line! Even Sam couldn't ignore Freddie's kindness at that point! ;) This chapter was so fun to write! A little bit of Cam snuggling, Carly/Spencer siblingness, Spencer/Frothy weirdness, and Seddie cuteness at the end! Working on character relationships/interactions is way too much fun! I really hope you guys enjoy what I'm trying to project through these chapters!  
**


	108. Spency Sees All

**First of all I just wanted to say I'm SO COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY SORRY FOR THE WAIT! D= I truly apologize to my reviewers for making you guys wait this long without an update! I know you deserve an explanation so here it is: A few months ago my computer with all my scenes for this story saved in it crashed and erased **_**everything **_**I worked on. You guys have no idea how much of my writing was lost. You see, whenever I get an idea for a random scene, I just type it out in my big SCENES file and save it for later. So even though they weren't full chapters, all of the scenes put together could have easily equaled up to the amount of twenty chapters. I was just devastated when I lost all of that work that I couldn't continue the story. I knew I had to take a break then. It was so overwhelming that I completely left fanfiction for a while. I've only recently come back and I have a lot of catching up to do so I'm so sorry that I wasn't up to the challenge of retyping all my lost work right away, and I'm especially sorry of the wait I put you guys through. I truly hope you can forgive me, as I really just needed a break from all this.**

**As for the story, since it's been such a long time, let me give you a recap up to this point.**

**-Sam had to go back to the hospital because of an infection.**

**-The next day (today in this chapter-iCarly night) she stayed home with Carly and Spencer while Freddie went off to school.**

**-The gang played Monopoly while Freddie trudged through his classes.**

**-Sam and Carly went downstairs and settled on the couch to rest while Spencer went back into his room. Both girls eventually fell asleep.**

**-Freddie finally got out from school and texted Carly's phone to tell her he was going to get back later because he had to run some errands for his mom. Sam woke up and texted him back and joked around with him for a while.**

**-This chapter now starts off with the ending of Sam and Freddie's text conversation. **

**

* * *

**

With a small sigh, Sam reached over and placed Carly's cell phone back on the table. She let off a small shiver as she sat back into the couch and brought the blanket back up over her shoulders.

"So cold.." She muttered, pressing her cheek into Carly's shoulder as she curled up into her friend's warm side once more. Sam realized the conversation she shared with Freddie seemed to have put her in a better mood...for whatever reason, but she was still feeling ill. Sam slowly closed her eyes and tried her best to relax from the shivers.

Meanwhile, Spencer decided to take a break from his _classified _art sketchings and walked into the living room, humming to himself softly.

"Hey, you want something to eat?" He asked his sister as he walked past the back of the couch.

"Sure," Sam answered weakly as she opened her eyes, glancing up at the man as he stopped in the kitchen and turned around to look at her.

"Oh hey!" He laughed, not knowing she had been awake. "Carly told me _you_ were the one sleeping a while back."

"Woke up," Sam nodded.

"Well that explains it," Spencer smiled. "So you girls hungry?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "But Carly's asleep."

"Oh," Spencer laughed. "Didn't know you guys changed shifts," He added, humored that when one girl was asleep, the other was awake.

"Yeah well, she stole my blanket, so I woke up."

"Uh, I don't think she would do that," Spencer replied with a light smile.

"Me neither," Sam chuckled. "I just woke up cold and saw she was wearing it," She shrugged. "Easy to place blame, especially since Freddie texted to say he's at the store."

"I see," Spencer laughed.

"And anyways if she did steal it, her warmth makes up for it," Sam added, feeling the need to compliment Carly after having jokingly insulted her.

"Well that's good, I'm sure she'd appreciate knowing that," Spencer chuckled. "So what do you want to eat?"

Sam looked down and thought for a moment before looking back up. "Ham sandwich?"

"Whoa! We getting our appetite back?" He laughed, not having heard the blond utter the word ham in practically a week.

"A bit," Sam nodded with a smile.

"Well I'll just go rustle you up some piggie sandwiches then," Spencer chuckled as he walked into the kitchen and pulled out a loaf of bread. "How many you want?" He asked, starting to open the package.

"One...for now," Sam replied.

Spencer paused what he was doing as he had already taken out six slices of bread for Sam. "One?" He asked, not sure if he heard right.

"Yeah."

"Ok, so I see we have a little ways to go with your appetite," He laughed softly, putting back a few pieces of bread. "But how about I make you two sandwiches, just in case you want another, kay?"

"Kay," Sam replied, smiling at him.

Spencer smiled back, before continuing to set up the snacks. He was glad Sam ok-ed the second sandwich. It was obvious her stomach was still off it's Puckett routine because if it was running smoothly, the girl would have asked for at least ten sandwiches. _'And that's not even an exaggeration,'_ Spencer mentally laughed.

A few minutes passed and Spencer eventually finished making the sandwiches. He even made a few extra ones, wrapped them up in foil, and placed them in the fridge. If Sam was asking for ham now, there would be no telling when she'd want more so he decided to prepare for the future. Humming softly, Spencer sauntered back over to the living room and placed the plate down on the table with a small clank. He couldn't help but let out a laugh as Sam stared at it, eyeing the meal like a hungry dog.

_'Good, doesn't look like she's nauseous...'_ He smiled. "So you want a drink to go with that kiddo?"

"Yeah sounds good," Sam nodded. "Got some apple juice?"

"Indeedy I do! Wait right there Ms Puckett!" Spencer nodded with a smile before retreating back to the kitchen. After a few clinks and shuffles, he walked back over to the couch with the cool glass of juice in hand. But when he looked at the table, he saw that the two sandwiches were still sitting on the plate. Spencer looked at Sam and saw that she hadn't moved from her position wedged into Carly's side under the blanket. She just continued to stare down at the plate of food, almost as if she was expecting it to do something.

"Uh what's wrong?" Spencer asked softly as he set the glass down, hoping she wasn't getting sick by it.

Sam looked up at him and gave him a sheepish smile. "It's too far."

"Far?" Spencer cocked an eyebrow.

"I can't reach it and I really don't want to take the blanket off or move. I'm cold."

Spencer couldn't help but let out a laugh at the uncharacteristic gentleness of her voice. "Oh, right," He then reached over and picked up a sandwich and held it out to her.

Sam poked out one of her hands from the top of the blanket and took it. "Thanks," She smiled appreciatively.

"You're welcome! So you still chilled huh?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded, her uncovered hand shaking a bit.

"Want me to get you an extra blanket or something?" Spencer asked, realizing the one she had on wasn't too heavy to overheat her fever.

"Nah, I'm ok," Sam replied, taking a small bite of her sandwich. "Like I said, Carly's the perfect heat source."

"Right," Spencer chuckled as he walked around the table and sat down on the empty side of the couch. He leaned back and crossed his feet over on the table, watching as Sam took another bite, one that was significantly larger than her first one. "How's the sandwich? Ok?"

"It's great," Sam paused as she swallowed her mouthful, before looking over at him. "Thanks Spence."

"Anytime kid!" Spencer nodded with a smile. And with that the two fell into a comfortable silence, watching TV.

* * *

Eventually Sam had finished up her sandwich and had fallen back asleep. She told Spencer she couldn't eat the last one so he decided to munch on it himself, glad that she was able to get at least one in her stomach.

Staring at the TV, Spencer finished up the last bite of the ham sandwich. "Mm good," he mumbled, wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand. He then sat up to prepare to clear the table off, but as he moved his foot his toe hit the side of the plate, lifting it an inch in the air before the ceramic crashed back down onto the table. "Oops!" Spencer whispered as the plate made obnoxious clanking noises while wobbling in place before finally settling back down. He quickly looked over at the girls to make sure he didn't rouse them. Unfortunately he did.

"Mff," Sam groaned into Carly's shoulder but kept her eyes closed as she wrapped her arms around her friend and tried to snuggle deeper into her.

Spencer looked over at his sister's face and watched as her eyelids slowly opened. It was obvious the noise wasn't enough to wake Sam, but Carly was a lighter sleeper and had Puckett squishing to deal with.

"What?" Carly asked groggily, trying to clear her eyesight.

"Carly?" Spencer asked softly. He watched as his sister looked up at him, confusion on her wakening face.

"Huh?"

"Sorry, I woke you up," He replied quietly.

"Oh," Carly replied, trying to sit up. But when she couldn't she quickly realized she was pinned down. Carly looked down to see her best friend under the blankets curled up next her. Sam had her arms wrapped around her stomach with her head resting on her left shoulder. Carly couldn't help but laugh at this as she looked up at her brother.

"I give Sam the whole couch, and yet she still somehow ends up squished next to me?" She smiled, looking down at her friend who was dead asleep. Carly chuckled, softly pulling her arm free from between her and Sam's body, before wrapping it around the blond girl's shoulder and gently rubbing her back. "She _so _owes me," Carly jokingly laughed. Sam just let off a slight mumble, shuffling her body a bit as she continued to rest against her friend's left shoulder. "How do I get myself into these captive situations?" Carly asked her brother with a laugh.

"I think it's because you're the one who can break her down," Spencer nodded with a smile.

Carly just paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean break her down?"

"Well, you sort of break her spirit," Spencer smiled before his brow knitted together in confusion at how awful that sounded, especially by the facial expression his sister was giving him. "Wait, no, that's not exactly how I mean to say it. I mean, you change her spirit."

"What you're saying still sounds bad," Carly added, extremely confused.

Spencer sighed as he tried to get his thoughts together. "No I mean, you're the one who gets through to her, ya know? You can make her..." Spencer paused once more, trying to find the word. "...calmer."

"Calmer?" Carly asked as her brother nodded.

"Yeah, you have this effect over her that no one else does," Spencer smiled, finally figuring out how to make his point. "You calm her down and make her relax. And we all know that sometimes Sam just needs to step back and take a breath."

"No argument there," Carly laughed. "So why all the sudden compliments?"

"You asked why you get stuck in these sorts of situations," Spencer smiled. "It's because Sam's comfortable with you."

Carly chuckled as she looked back down at the girl giving her a bear hug. "Right."

"So how was your nap?" Spencer asked. "You've been knocked out for a few hours."

"S'okay," Carly nodded. "I didn't mean to fall asleep for more than an hour though," She laughed honestly. "Especially since Sam wasn't feeling too good when she went to sleep."

"She seemed alright when I talked to her," Spencer nodded.

"She woke up?"

"Yeah, how do you think she ended up squished into you?" Spencer laughed. "Said something about you being a blanket thief."

"Blanket thief?" Carly asked awkwardly.

"She told me how you stole her blanket off her while she was sleeping," Spencer shrugged.

"What? I did not!"

"Whoa, calm down there, I'm not here to judge," Spencer paused before a smirk spread across his face. "Even if you are wrapped up in the evidence."

Carly just stared at him, mouth agape. "I wouldn't steal a blanket from a sick person!"

"...unless they're asleep right?" Spencer laughed, amused by his sister's reaction.

"Noooooo..." Carly huffed. "Sam kicked it off in her sleep because she was burning up! I did not steal it!"

"Ok ok!" Spencer laughed, having had enough fun. "I was just kidding around with ya!"

Carly just frowned. "I don't want Sam thinking I took it off her..."

"It's ok," Spencer smiled. "Sam was just kidding when she said that too. She knows you didn't steal it! She just thought it was funny that it looked like you did."

Carly just gave a small smile. "So, how was she when she woke up? Feeling better?"

"She was cold, hence the close quarters," Spencer nodded as Carly chuckled.

"Yeah, I can tell," She replied, moving her hand along Sam's arm to bring up some warm friction.

"But she seemed to have a better appetite," Spencer smiled.

"Sam ate?" Carly asked, not expecting that.

"Yesireebob! One ham sandwich to be exact," Spencer nodded, feeling somewhat proud of being the one to feed it to her.

"Really?" Carly asked, surprised. It was actually weird to hear that Sam ate some meat, despite how off that thought sounded.

"Mhm," Spencer smiled. "But she only had one. I made her two, but she didn't feel like eating the second. She said it was too much."

"Oh..." Carly replied, her tone a little less happy.

"But you're not seeing the main point here! Sam ate HAM!" Spencer laughed. "That's a very good sign!"

"Yes, you're right," Carly smiled.

"And it's not like she got nauseous after or anything. No puking at all!" Spencer assured his sister. "It looks like the road to recovery is getting smoother."

"Good," Carly laughed as she looked down at her friend. "So.." She then looked back up at her brother. "...did Freddie come by? Surely school is out now."

"No, actually he's out. Sam told me he texted her, saying he had to do some errands for his mom."

"Ah ok," Carly replied, letting out a yawn.

Spencer frowned. "Sorry I woke you up, didn't mean to."

"It's alright," Carly replied. "Like I said, I didn't want to sleep for this long."

"Why not? You look tired."

"Thanks," Carly replied sarcastically with a laugh.

"You know what I mean," Spencer chuckled. "Anyways, why don't you go back to sleep and saw some more logs?"

"Saw some logs?" Carly asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's an acceptable expression!"

"For lumberjacks maybe," Carly laughed tiredly. "But I don't think I will be going back to sleep. I feel like its sorta unfair, especially when Sam has so much trouble sleeping."

"Why's it unfair?" Spencer asked curiously.

Carly sighed. "I don't really like flaunting my health around her. You should see the looks she gives me when I get up off the bed or the couch without a wince."

Spencer just smiled. "Yeah I know, she gives me them too. Must be hard with the surgery."

"Yeah," Carly replied softly, looking down at her sleeping friend. She started to let out a yawn but promptly stopped herself in the middle of it.

"Well hey, you can't tire yourself out worrying about her all the time!" Spencer added as his sister looked back up at him. "Just because you're not sick doesn't mean you aren't allowed to relax."

"I know but.."

"No buts," Spencer laughed. "I can see you're still tired. Why don't you just lay your head down on that thar pillow and go back to sleep."

"Nice accent," Carly chuckled at her brother's random placed words before yawning once more. "Ugh," She sighed, wiping the liquid from her eyes with her free hand. "But what if Sam wakes up and needs me?"

Spencer faked a gasp. "You think I'm incapable of taking care of simple requests?"

"No I just meant that..."

"Why Carly, you give me no credit," Spencer sighed dramatically. "And to think I took care of you all those times when you had chicken pox, the mumps, that mysterious rash.."

"That's enough!" Carly quickly cut in, stopping her brother from listing anymore embarrassing predicaments. "And besides, that rash wasn't so mysterious considering you bought me such cheap and questionable makeup as a gift!"

"The guy on the corner said it was the latest thing from Paris! I thought girls liked that stuff!" Spencer defended himself.

"Not from Paris, Kentucky!" Carly laughed. "You really need to stop buying things from people on corners!"

Spencer smiled sheepishly. "But corner people have all the fun stuff."

"No, they have all the stuff that will kill you! Sam once bought a bag of clams from a guy on a corner."

"Were they good?" Spencer asked, oblivious to his sister's point.

"She had to get her stomach pumped," Carly replied flatly.

"Oy!" Spencer grimaced, looking down at the blond. "No wonder she hates hospitals."

"Yeah," Carly sighed, looking back down at her friend before glancing back up at Spencer. "So no more buying stuff from people at corners! If you need to get something, especially for me, go into a store!"

Spencer just smiled. "Deal...but only if you get some rest?"

Carly sighed looking down at Sam. "You don't think she will mind?"

"Nah, course not," Spencer nodded. "Plus you've taken good care of her all this time, and she knows it. You deserve some sleep."

Carly smiled at this.

"And besides," Spencer added. "Sam didn't even want to move from that position to get a ham sandwich. Sorry kiddo, but I think you're stuck there. Might as well sleep the time away."

Carly couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks Spencer, you always know what to say."

"Don't I?" Spencer smiled with a cocky grin.

Carly laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Now you just get some sleep," Spencer replied, pulling himself off the couch. "I'm gonna go and clean up the table."

"Kay," Carly replied as she watched her brother pick up a plate and glass and walk into the kitchen. With a soft sigh, she looked back down at Sam and noticed how much more peaceful her friend looked. A stomach full of ham did the girl wonders. Feeling a lot better about the situation, Carly slowly laid her head back down against her propped up pillow. Soon enough she drifted back off to sleep.

* * *

Time passed as it was now nearing 5:00 pm. The light of the TV bounced off three sleeping faces.

Sam was still snuggled up into her best friend's side, snoozing away on Carly's shoulder as they shared the blanket.

Spencer was also asleep now, sitting on the other end of the couch with his head craned over the back as his feet were once again propped up on the table. Frothy had managed to find his way into the living room and onto Spencer's lap where he had curled up into a furry gray ball.

It was a very lazy atmosphere, until a few knocks on the door jarred some of the occupants awake.

"Wha?" Spencer lazily picked his head up and blinked a few times. Frothy also lifted up his head, letting out a yawn. "Oh hey Frothsters, didn't see ya there," Spencer chuckled at the animal.

A few more knocks rang out from the door. "Hello?" Freddie's voice was heard from the hallway. "You guys in there? Carly? Sam?"

Spencer looked down at Frothy in his lap. "And to think, this is my apartment and not one mention of my name," He laughed as he gently picked up the fat plump cat and set him to the side on the couch.

"Mroowww..." Frothy growled at him.

"Hey now, none of that," Spencer pointed at him as he stood up.

"Mrrrrwww..." Frothy continued to growl.

"Ok, some of that!" Spencer backed off, letting the cat do whatever he wanted. He finally reached the door and opened it up.

"Oh, hey Spencer, mind if I come in?" Freddie held up some wires. "Gotta get everything ready for iCarly."

"Right! I forgot tonight was iCarly night," Spencer replied as he sidestepped so Freddie could walk in.

"Yeah, we have to get the show ready for..." Freddie's voice trailed off when he noticed the two girls scrunched up into one measly corner of the couch. "Do those two ever separate?" He laughed, humored that he left them in roughly the same sort of position in Carly's bedroom this morning.

"They're two peas in a pod, or two girls in a blanket if you want to get more specific."

Freddie just laughed as he made his way over to the stairs. "Anyways, I'm going to go upstairs and fix up some tech stuff for the show."

"Whatcha gotta fix?" Spencer asked, following Freddie up the stairs.

"I'm going to make sure the clarity on our monitor is perfect for tonight."

"What's special about tonight?" Spencer asked as the two of them made their way into the studio.

"Well Carly and I redid some iCarly stuff so Sam could host. We decided to skip out on all the skits and plays to just show some hilarious web videos."

"Good idea," Spencer smiled.

"Thanks," Freddie replied as he set his wires down. "Speaking of which, how was Sam today?"

Spencer thought for a moment. "Sick...but relaxed. She's still got a fever from the infection so she's tired and her temperature is out of whack."

"Oh, that's too bad," Freddie frowned. "But you said she was relaxed?"

"Yup! Very calm and stuff. Pretty much the polar opposite of how she normally is," Spencer laughed. "No insults or jokes or tantrums or anything."

"Really?" Freddie asked, a bit shocked. "Because when I texted her earlier, she sounded like she was acting more normal. Not all druggy and compliant and stuff."

"Lemme guess, she insulted you?" Spencer asked as Freddie nodded. "That's no surprise," He replied with a chuckle.

"Yeah, you're telling me," Freddie laughed, starting to separate the wires from each other.

"You guys work well with each other," Spencer explained as he found the yo yo Carly confiscated from him on a table and picked it up.

"What?" Freddie paused what he was doing for a second to see Spencer fumbling with the plastic toy.

"You and Carly work on different sides of Sam's personality, you keep her in check," Spencer explained, trying to find the end of the string from inside the yo yo.

"Yeah," Freddie snorted. "Carly gets the smiling side while I get the one that ends with a fist in the face."

Spencer pulled at his shirt collar as he put the now tangled up yo yo back down on the table. He let off a nervous laugh. "Well ok, yeah, that's true, but it's not totally what I meant."

"What did you mean then?"

Spencer paused, making sure to get his words right on this. "Well, Carly may relax Sam, but you bring her normalcy."

Freddie just looked at Spencer with a confused expression. "Normalcy?"

"Yeah," Spencer smiled. "You know, ever since Sam got home from the surgery, the only time I've ever seen her act like her normal self was around you!"

"What? No," Freddie laughed as he waved Spencer off. "She acts like herself around Carly too."

"Not necessarily," Spencer stated matter of fact like. "...at least, not when she's sick like this."

Freddie just stayed quiet, waiting for the man to explain.

"You probably haven't been able to see it much, but Sam's been scarily quiet and polite whenever she's with my sister."

"But that's a good thing," Freddie started to say before Spencer shook his head.

"Wait up Freddo, you have to remember we're talking about Sam world here. Polite and quiet are not redeeming qualities in Sam world."

"So what are you saying exactly? Sam hates herself when she's with Carly?" Freddie gave a laugh, knowing he wasn't getting the message right.

"No no no!" Spencer quickly replied. "My sister calms her down to a good state, especially when she needs to recover."

"So...uh..." Freddie was really getting confused now. "Ok, I'm just going to say it. I'm completely lost here."

Spencer sighed, knowing he wasn't that good with his words. He thought for a moment before his eyes lightened up. "I got it!" He replied, snapping his fingers.

Freddie just stayed quiet, wondering where the heck this conversation was going.

"Remember when Sam was in the hospital?" Spencer asked excitedly, happy he found an example.

"Uh duh, it was last Saturday," Freddie replied as Spencer's smile faltered.

"No snarky-ness!"

"Sorry!" Freddie smiled apologetically.

"Anyways..." Spencer huffed as he crossed his arms in fake insult. "Remember how mopey and junk she was the first hours after the surgery?"

"You mean before or after the puking and sleeping?" Freddie asked.

"Um during...and a little after," Spencer scratched his head. "Any who, remember when Socko and Taylor came in and cheered her up?"

"Yeah I do," Freddie nodded.

"Well did ya remember that only minutes before that Sam was crying her eyes out?" Spencer asked, his tone a little more serious.

"Yeah..." Freddie replied just as softly, his mind flashing back to that picture.

"She was feeling really messed up about the whole situation, but once my friends came in her spirit jumped back up!"

"Yeah, it did," Freddie gave a small laugh, remembering how happy Sam was talking to Socko and Taylor.

"You know why that is?" Spencer asked.

Freddie just shrugged.

"They didn't treat her like someone in a hospital bed. They treated her like a normal person. And you know what Fredwardo my good man?" Spencer replied proudly, happy he was getting his point out. "That's what you do for Sam!"

"What? No I don't," Freddie couldn't help but let out a laugh. "If you haven't noticed, I think my presence bothers her. It doesn't make her happy."

"Are you kidding? She absolutely lights up when you enter a room!"

Freddie just stared at Spencer as if her grew another head. "Are you getting sick?" He asked, reaching over to feel for a temperature.

"No!" Spencer replied, slapping Freddie's hand away. "I've see the excitement Sam gets in her eyes when you come over. It's been really obvious this week. You don't patronize her and you're not afraid to insult her when she's sick. It's like you present a challenge to her, a challenge to be normal."

"What? You're crazy! I don't challenge her," Freddie laughed.

"Yes you do! I see it all the time," Spencer nodded before giving a sly smirk. "You know, over the years you guys been friends, I've noticed that sometimes it's not Sam who makes the first insult."

"Oh yeah right," Freddie rolled his eyes.

"You may not know it buddy, but your tongue can be just as venomous as Sam's...and I think she likes it."

Freddie slowly looked back over at Spencer, knowing the man made sense. "Well...I don't try to insult her first..."

"Sorry Freddie, but you're not fooling me. Spency sees all," Spencer smiled, giving a wink.

Freddie just looked down for a moment, thinking about what Spencer was talking about._ 'Ok, so maybe __**I**__** have**__ noticed that Sam seems to enjoy our insult fights, and maybe **I do** start them sometimes, but I thought that she would just prefer me to be gone instead. With the way Spencer's talking, he's making it seem as though Sam actually looks forward to seeing me.' _With a small laugh of disbelief, Freddie finally looked back up at Spencer. "So...you _really_ think she likes hanging out with me?"

"Oh definitely," Spencer nodded with a smile before putting his hands up. "But don't tell Sam I told you any of this. She'd kill me!"

Freddie couldn't help but laugh. Sam Puckett certainly was an enigma.

* * *

**Ok so I really wanted this chapter to be about Spencer talking to the kids about the dynamics of their relationships. I figure that since the trio always hangs out in his apartment, he obviously sees things about them that they might not see themselves. I thought it would be a cool idea to write a chapter having Spencer ease the kids' minds about Sam by explaining how important they are to her. (I.E.: Carly's presence being calming, Freddie's presence being exciting). **

**I do want to say that I believe my first copy of this chapter was a lot better. (Before the majority of it got lost in the unforgiving computer world). This one is so rough though, and I know that I lost a lot of good parts from it in the crash, but I really needed to update! I hope you guys still enjoy this one despite flaws! As always, I'd love to hear your guys' thoughts! Please don't hesitate to leave a review to tell me if you liked any certain lines/jokes!  
**


	109. Showtime Chaos

**Ok, I am officially the happiest author on this site! I was literally _bombarded_ with reviews after posting up the latest chapter! You guys may not realize it but when you post a review, any sad thoughts about my work being lost slowly vanishes! I want to thank each and every one of you who reviewed with such kind words about my return to fanfiction! For all of you that said how happy my update made you, your reviews did just the same for me! =D (Although I can't cartwheel. I never learned haha!) So again, thank you so much for renewing my happiness in writing! I was so excited that I managed to pump out another chapter for you guys to enjoy!**

* * *

"This is BO-RING..." Spencer moaned loudly, cutting the silence in the iCarly studio.

"Would you quit whining?" Freddie huffed as he stood up from his cart, various wires in his hands. He turned around to see Spencer sitting on a small fold-able chair used for iCarly skits. The man was sitting on it backwards with his chin resting on top of the back, a bored look plastered on his face. Freddie just raised an eyebrow at this. "And besides, why do you even want to hang out with me while I do this?"

Spencer shrugged. "I thought you were going to do some cool crazy techy stuff. But for the past two hours you've done nothing but hook and rehook wires!" He frowned.

"What did you think I was going to do?" Freddie laughed. "Build a robot?"

"Yes," Spencer replied quietly.

"Well this stuff is very important and takes time!" Freddie added, turning his back towards Spencer as he continued working.

"I know, it's just that..._it's so_ BOOOOORIIINNNGGGG," Spencer drawled out once more, his head hanging even lower.

"You're worse than Sam!" Freddie threw up his hands in exasperation as he turned around and walked towards a small prop table. He found the yo-yo Spencer was toying with earlier and picked it up. "Here, entertain yourself with this," Freddie turned around and lightly lobbed it towards the man.

"OW!" Spencer whimpered as it smacked into his forehead and went clattering to the floor.

"Oops, sorry," Freddie apologized.

"You did that on purpose!" Spencer moaned, getting off the chair to pick it up.

"No I didn't! You didn't reach for it!" Freddie defended himself.

"Oh yeah," Spencer replied slowly, examining the toy.

Freddie just laughed and rolled his eyes as he went back to working on his tech cart. _'Well at least that will keep him occup-_ OW!" Freddie screeched as something hard came into contact with the back of his head. He quickly stood up and looked over to see Spencer staring at him with wide eyes, the string of the yo-yo hooked onto his finger.

"Uh...I got it to go around the world?" Spencer offered with a nervous laugh, not having meant to hit the boy with his trick.

Freddie just pointed to the door with a stern look.

"Ok," Spencer sighed, walking out of the studio with his head held low, the yo-yo scraping along the floor as it was dragged out behind him.

* * *

Spencer continued his sad walk down the stairs, the unwound yo-yo smacking along each step as he continued to drag it behind him. "Carly's right. These things are too- AH!" Spencer let out a yelp as the toy managed to pass him on the steps and trip his foot up. He went tumbling down the last few steps until he came to a halt sprawled out on the floor, the plastic yo-yo landing on his chest. "...dangerous." He squeaked out.

"Unh Spencer?" Carly groaned out from the couch, looking over the back of it through sleepy eyes.

"Eh heh what's up sis?" Spencer chuckled as he got up from the floor.

"Me, again," She moaned, rubbing her eyes with her fist.

"Sorry about waking you up...again," Spencer apologized as he walked over to the back of the couch.

"No it's ok," Carly looked at him and squinted her eyes. "I suppose."

"So... Freddie's hooking up some wires upstairs," Spencer decided to change the subject of his rudeness.

"Freddie came over?"

"Yup, bout two hours ago," Spencer nodded as he watched his sister look at the clock.

"Oh wow, it's 7:00," She murmured, having lost track of the time.

"Yup, iCarly time in one hour," Spencer nodded before looking over at Sam. "Um what if she's not up by then?"

"That's what I'm hoping," Carly laughed. "Freddie and I didn't really want to do iCarly this week, but we had a feeling that Sam was going to fight us about it so we decided to just see how it plays out. If she stays asleep then there won't be anything to worry about."

"Ah ok," Spencer smiled.

"But on the off chance she does wake up, I need to go upstairs to get the index cards for the show ready. Think you could help me slink out?" Carly asked, still pinned under Sam's sleeping form.

"Yeah sure thing," Spencer smiled. He walked over and carefully helped Carly slip out of Sam's grasp.

"Just lay her on her back and don't touch her stomach," Carly added, watching as her brother gently lifted the weight off of her.

"Gotcha," Spencer replied, settling his patient down. Sam's body continued to stay ragdollish, showing off how out of it she was.

"And don't forget this," Carly laughed, picking up the blanket and draping it over her friend.

"Right," Spencer chuckled as he tucked in the edges before standing back up. "There we go, that looks good."

"Yup," Carly agreed, glad that Sam was a heavy sleeper and wasn't even bothered by the movement. "Anyways, I'm going to go upstairs to change."

"To get out of your pajamas?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah, and out of this shirt. Sam's drool is starting to air cool," She winced, indicating the spot on her shoulder.

Spencer grimaced with a laugh. "Ok, you go upstairs and do your thing. I'll keep an eye on everything down here."

"Sounds good," Carly nodded as she made her way up the steps.

As soon as she disappeared from view, Spencer looked back down at Sam. The girl had started to snore softly, courtesy of her new position on the couch.

"Probably for the best," Spencer said to himself, realizing it was pretty likely iCarly wasn't going to be happening tonight.

* * *

After getting everything ready in the studio, Carly and Freddie decided to go downstairs to help Sam prep for the show. But when they found the girl still sleeping on the couch, they were content on just sitting and waiting with her to see if she woke up. With Spencer in the kitchen washing dishes, Carly settled down on the foot of the couch while Freddie pulled up a chair. They flicked on the TV to kill the last few minutes. Soon enough the time passed until it was show time.

"It's 7:55," Freddie stated quietly, glancing at the clock on the TV.

"Yeah.." Carly replied, looking down at the girl snoring away on the other end of the couch. "And I guess that's that," She laughed.

"No show?" Spencer asked as he turned off the faucet.

"Nope," Carly answered. "And I think it's for the best."

"Me too," Spencer nodded.

"Let's go up and tell the fans the show won't be on today," Freddie replied as he got up from his chair.

"Alright," Carly agreed as she softly shuffled out from under Sam's feet before following Freddie out of the room.

* * *

Eventually the kids made their way up to the studio and decided on leaving a video message instead of a typed out bulletin. As Freddie started to get the equipment set, Carly picked up a hairbrush and began fixing her hair.

"Alright, filming starts in twenty seconds," Freddie said, typing a few things along his keyboard.

"I'll just give the viewers a quick explanation of what's going on before we cut out, ok?" Carly replied, setting her hairbrush off to the side.

"Yup, sounds good," Freddie nodded as he walked around his cart and pointed the camera towards her. "And...in 5,4,3,2..." Just as Freddie pointed towards Carly and clicked on the record button, a bang from the studio door made both of the kids jump.

"Hey!"

Carly and Freddie's eyes widened as they saw Sam hastily open the door and hobble into the room, the red blanket wrapped over her shoulders as she tried to keep warm.

"Sam?" Carly asked incredulously.

"What are you doing up?" Freddie asked, just as surprised. He was still holding up the camera and was now pointing it towards Sam, unintentionally leaving it recording.

"What the heck you guys? Why didn't you wake me up for iCarly?" Sam moaned in response as she shivered. From her point of view it looked as though the kids were going to do the show without her.

Carly just sighed. "I was only going to tell the viewers that we're canceling the show."

"We're _not_ c-canceling," Sam shivered.

"C'mon, you're not well," Carly explained softly. "You need to stay in bed...or on the couch. You can't host a webshow."

"Yes I c-can!" Sam muttered back. Her eyes then trailed over to Freddie's camera and saw that the red light was on. "I'm d-doing it right now!"

"Huh?" Carly looked over and shared an awkward glance with Freddie before he looked down at his camera.

"Oh crud!" Freddie stated, realizing he left it on as the fans were currently watching their conversation. He lowered it away from Sam and reached over to hit the stop button.

"No, don't turn it off!" Sam replied, walking towards him as quickly as she could. She then grabbed his hand and angled the front end of the camera to point it back up towards herself. "iCarly is not going to be canceled," She stated firmly to the fans.

Freddie just stood there worriedly as Sam held onto his hands, directing the camera in her direction. He felt that her hands were ice cold and knew it was from the infection.

By now Carly had walked over next to her stubborn friend and turned the camera towards herself. "Sorry, Sam's currently hallucinating from a fever and has no clue what she's saying! iCarly _is _in fact canceled, " She tried to tell the fans, but was cut off.

"No it's not! I'm fine!" Sam moaned, grabbing the camera to point it at herself.

"No you're not!" Carly replied hastily, trying to turn the camera away from her.

Meanwhile, Freddie was still holding the camera from behind, and his arms were starting to hurt from getting jerked back and forth to point it at the different girls. "Guys c'mon, stop! We're live!"

"Sam, would you just listen to me?" Carly exclaimed as Sam glared at her. "You need to relax!"

Carly and Freddie watched as Sam fully yanked the camera out of the boy's hand. Just as the both of them were about to open their mouths in protest, they stopped, watching as the girl clicked off the record button, ending the live streaming of a horrible debate. Many fans sighed in disappointment as their computer screens faded to black.

"Sam, what are you..?" Carly was about to ask before Sam sighed, holding the camera between her hands in defeat.

"Look, you guys keep telling me I need rest, I need to sleep, that I'm not feeling well.." She then looked up at them hesitantly. "And I get that it's because you're concerned for my health and junk, but it's just...I need to do _something_. I'm so sick of slogging around here like some drugged zombie! iCarly is the _only _thing I've been looking forward to this whole week and you guys can't take it away from me."

Carly and Freddie just looked back at her with concern, not sure what to say.

"But Sam.." Carly started to say as the blond shook her head.

"I can host the show and I promise won't do anything too tiring. Honest. Just...let me have this one bit of fun," Sam then looked up at them with pleading eyes. "_Please_," She begged her friends, which caused them to soften their expressions. Sam Puckett was never one to beg, she was one to demand.

Carly and Freddie exchanged one more look with each other before he gave the brunette a small nod. And with that, Carly sighed, deciding that they would go with the revamped iCarly idea. Unfortunately Sam saw their looks and mistook them, thinking her friends were still going to say no. So instead of pulling on their heartstrings, she decided to go with a more familiar route of persuasion, threats.

"Look Sam," Carly started to say as she took a step towards her best friend."Freddie and I think..."

Sam backed away, panic and a slight anger rising in her chest at the thought of being turned down. "If...if you don't let me do the show, I'll smash his camera!" She exclaimed hastily as she held the bulky device over her head, giving a small wince at the gross pressure in her stomach.

"WHAT? No!" Freddie yelled.

"SAM! Put the camera down!" Carly exclaimed as she took another step forward. Sam just shook her head, stepping back once more. The kids noticed that she wobbled a bit, her arms shaking from the weight of the camera.

"Carly stay back!" Freddie gasped. "She may just be crazy enough to do it!" The boy cried out dramatically. He then paused for a moment, rethinking his words. "She _IS_ crazy enough to do it!"

"Ok, that's it! Everyone calm down!" Carly yelled. Both of her friends instantly shut up, but Sam continued to hold the camera over her head. "And would you give me that?" Carly reached over and grabbed the camera away from her sick and psychotic friend, trying to keep her from injuring herself further.

"Hey!" Sam muttered in protest. The only reason Carly was able to get it away from her that easily was because her arms and stomach were too sore to continue holding it up.

"You're not allowed to hold anything that heavy anyway!" Carly replied as she handed Freddie back his camera. The boy gratefully took it from her and cradled it as if he just got his baby back from a knife wielding criminal.

Sam just looked at him for a moment before rolling her eyes. She then turned her attention back to her best friend, who was still in the middle of yelling at her.

"Maybe if you'd stop to listen for a second, you'd realize we were going to let you do the show!" Carly exclaimed.

"Huh?" Sam asked weakly, not expecting that.

"Yeah!" Freddie added, looking up from his camera. "But then you went all hostile on us!"

"We're gonna do the show?" Sam asked hopefully, ignoring Freddie's comment.

"Yes," Carly sighed. "Freddie and I rearranged the schedule for it."

At first Sam was happy about the news but then her face fell when she realized something.

"What's wrong?" Carly asked, noticing the change of expressions.

"You guys worked on the show...without me?" Sam asked, frowning.

"What's the difference?" Freddie asked. "It's not like you're much help when you're with us," He added with a chuckle.

Sam just looked over at him and shot a glare. "Don't mess with me Benson," She growled, raising her shaky fists as she balled them up in anger.

Freddie just gulped, realizing she wasn't in the mood for banter and took a step back. Carly quickly reached over to Sam and gently pulled her fists back down by her sides.

"Easy you two," Carly sighed, taking on her role as mediator. "Save your energy for the show." She explained, mostly speaking for Sam.

Just then Spencer's voice called out dramatically from the stairs. "Carly! Freddie! I tried to stop her from coming up here to do the show!"

Within seconds he came bounding through the hallway before smacking face first into the door causing the kids to jump up in surprise. With a grunt, Spencer backed up and kicked it open with his foot. Carly and Freddie just stared at him with a shocked expression until their eyes trailed down to his wrists.

"Whoa! What happened?" Freddie asked.

"She tied my hands together with the yo-yo!" He exclaimed, holding up his hands to show a makeshift pair of handcuffs created with the string of it. The plastic toy hung an inch from Spencer's wrists.

Carly turned around and gawked at her best friend with a horrified look. "You tied up my brother?"

Sam just gave a small apologetic smile as she shrugged. "You know how grumpy I get when I wake up."

* * *

**I really hope you guys liked this one! I decided to focus on the comedy aspect of the characters this time and I had so much fun writing it! xD Starting with Spencer and Freddie's ****yo-yo**** fiasco to ending with Sam terrorizing the whole gang, I really think this one came out well! As always, please don't hesitate to leave a review! You guys know how much they mean to me and I'd really like to hear your thoughts on this chapter! ^_^**


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